The Healer's Gift
by LydiaTheTattooedLady
Summary: Toph wasn't born into the wealthy Bei Fong family, but adopted at the age of eight. This is her story before she became Toph Bei Fong, the story of her life in the war-torn Earth Kingdom, which has long since abandoned hope of the Avatar's return, of her journey to the capital, and her friendship with a healer named Tsunade.
1. Prologue

**I do not own the characters of Avatar the last Airbender, or the manga Naruto. **

**Toph wasn't born into the wealthy Bei Fong family, but adopted at the age of eight. This is her story before she became Toph Bei Fong.**

THE HEALER'S GIFT

PROLOUGE

The sound of the crackling flames and the men's laughing had faded a long time ago, but the young girl couldn't do anything about the screaming. The screaming in her head. On and on it went, like a kettle over the flames everyone had forgotten.

She stumbled after the small group of silent survivors, exerting pressure on her ears, trying to stop the sound of screaming. The sound of death.

There were only eleven people, she had counted. Only eleven people to escape the massacre, the sea of flames.

The girl turned to look back to where she knew the town to be, and thought she could see a gigantic cloud of black smoke billowing above her old home. But it was only her imagination, of course. The tall dark trees of the forest almost hid the entire sky. And all she could see was blackness.

Her father was calling her, with her little baby brother in his arms, wide eyed and fearful, for even a toddler could sense the danger they were still in.

The girl ran to her father, who stroked her black hair affectionately, then took her by her slightly sweaty hand. He would not lose anyone again.

So they walked on in that fashion, along with the other survivors, a silent procession in the dark forest, and the girl wondered vaguely, whether the men at the front had any idea where they were headed. Or were they just walking for the same reason as the rest of them? Purely for the purpose of pretending that by walking, they would be safe.

Soon people began to falter and stumble, and it was deemed best to set up camp for a while. The girl sank to her knees gratefully. She was so weary. But why was it still dark? They had been walking for hours. Surely, _surely_, the morning sun should have risen by now.. But she didn't ponder long, for the moment she closed her eyes, she was fast asleep.

The girl's eyes flew open, and she sat up, shaking, looking around to see what had caused her to wake up so suddenly. But everything was still. Her father lay beside her, still with her brother in his arms, whose mouth was slightly open in his sleep. All the other villagers were either lying, or sitting hunched over their bodies. All of them were asleep. Even the man they had appointed for guard duty.

And then, for no reason at all, the girl's gaze left the snoring man, to fall on something waiting behind the trees. Waiting patiently, for her to notice him.

A young boy, only a few years older than herself gazed back at her, but he didn't look solid, more like the ghost of his former self. He was bleeding openly from his mouth and wounds in his chest, blood seeping throw his whitish shirt. The bright scarlet was made all the more vivid by the boy's pale complexion and had the girl been able to think clearly, she might have wondered why she didn't feel any fear at all. She wasn't even surprised.

The moment the boy saw her looking at him, he turned and vanished into the darkness of the forest.

Without thinking the girl stood up.

She followed the the ghost as if in a trance. All thoughts of her family, of her burning town, of the war, forgotten, as she brushed leafy twigs out of her face, her eyes never leaving the boy.

Suddenly, the moon was visible above, shining silvery light all around the clearing she had followed him to.

The girl blinked. For the first time since she had laid eyes on the creature, she seemed to come out of her trance. Her heart lurched horribly as she saw what the boy had wanted her to see. Something was lying there, wounded. A spirit, in the shape of a white dragon, although its matter was already dissolving, even as the girl looked. It was covered in blood, dark crimson, that looked almost black against its white scales and the darkness of the night.

It looked at the girl and opened its mouth.

''_Help me_.''

The words were barely audible.

The girl swallowed, then nodded.

With its last bit of strength the spirit forced itself off the ground and flew, flew towards the girl, its thin body twisted in pain, and she screwed her eyes shut, waiting for the collision, which did not come.

Instead of crashing into her, the great spirit went right through her, and then was gone.

Almost instantly, the girl felt a warm strength surge through her whole body, as her dark hair turned blonde. A voice in the back of her head whispered:

''_Thank you_.''


	2. Motherlove

CHAPTER 1: Motherlove

I was sitting on the wooden steps leading up to our apartment, my bare feet dangling to and fro as I waited for my friend impatiently. I could feel the sun blazing above me, and longed for the cool shade under the old oak tree, on the outskirts of the village.

And then I heard someone running towards me, and I jumped onto the dry, dusty ground and knew it was Lee. He punched me in the arm softly, the way he always did, and I grinned at him.

''You took your time, didn't you?''

''Shut up,'' he grinned and bent down to let me scramble onto his shoulders happily. Then we set off, down the baking, deserted streets of the village.

Lee was my best friend, although he was older than me by about five years. But that was just guess work, really, because he could never be too sure about his true age. He was an orphan, who had been taken in by a benign old woman, old Fee, as a toddler. She had looked after him and loved him, and he had been perfectly content with his life.

But two years ago, when Lee had been ten, Fee had finally passed away, and he had to earn his own living from then on. He worked at a small farm, six miles away from the village five days a week, and they treated him well, and gave him enough food, so he was lucky, really. They had even offered to let him stay in a spare room, to save him the long journey to and from the village every end of the week. But he had declined, because he knew I needed him.

Every Friday I would wait for Lee to come impatiently, and the days he left for the farm again, were the most despised and dreaded. I always harbored a secret fear, that one day, he would enjoy life at the farm so much, that he wouldn't come back. But he always did.

''We're nearly there!'' Lee shouted, then broke into a gallop, with me hanging on to his neck for dear life. He tripped, and both of us fell to the ground, in a mass of dry earth and dust and laughter. Now that I was on the earth again, I could feel where the oak was, and I disentangled myself from my friend, to limp to the cool, soothing shade. Lee followed, still chuckling with mirth.

''You blind or something?'' I asked grinning as I stretched out under the tree.

''It's treason to insult your next king!'' Lee said in mock outrage, picking himself up from the dirt and falling down beside me. ''Guards! Off with her head!''

Lee had somehow convinced himself, that he would be Earth King someday, a dream, which made me feel more pity than scorn.

I changed the subject hastily. ''Tell me a story, Lee.''

He knew them all. The myths and legends, the heroes of the Earth Kingdom, the great entities of the spirit worlds. It was delicious, just sitting there lazily in the cool shade of our favorite tree, listening to Lee talk of the first two Earth benders, Oma and Shu, with not a care in the world. The war could have been in another world, in another time, we didn't care, because we were kids, because it didn't affect us in the slightest.

And because we didn't know what was coming.

The sun was setting and it was growing colder, as we finally made our way back to the village. We passed a group of soldiers gambling on the street, who looked up as we passed and jeered drunkenly. ''Hail to the Earth King!''

Furious, Lee picked up a stone, ready to throw it, and I tugged at his sleeve desperately, willing him to stop. He dropped the stone back onto the ground reluctantly, but it was too late, one of the men had already seen him and the earth rumbled beneath us and jerked us off our feet, accompanied by the roars of laughter of the men. How I wished, at that moment, how I longed to be a true earthbender, to beat them, to beat them all.

I was a bender, but I was also blind. I knew I would never be anything better than mediocre, and I wasn't even that at the moment. The only consolation I had, was that earthbeding helped me see with my feet, that I wasn't entirely useless.

''C'mon,'' Lee growled, and we walked away from the jeering men. They weren't real soldiers, the real soldiers were all gone, fighting in the endless war, that seemed so far away. They were meant to protect our village from the Fire Nation, but even a blind girl could see that all of them would be the first ones running, at the first sign of any real danger.

''Well, Toph,'' Lee mumbled, and I could tell he was still fuming inwardly because of the incident, ''See you tomorrow..''

With that he turned into a smaller alley, which led to his house. I was left to climb the creaking wooden steps alone, and as I reached the door of our apartment, I could sense that my mother was already in there.

She had laid out the table, with a bowl of hot, steaming soup, and I sat down quietly in front of it. She offered no greeting as I came in, but that was nothing new.

''Aren't you eating?'' I asked her, without any real interest.

''No,'' was all she said, bending over and handing me a spoon. Then she turned to leave.

''Go to bed after you're done,'' she said, and I could tell by the sound of her voice, that she wasn't even looking at me. ''I'm going to meet a friend, I may be home late.''

I knew she probably wouldn't be home at all, but I didn't care.

I had always tried to feel completely indifferent, wherever my mother was concerned, because I could feel her loathing towards me. Oh, I'm sure she fought against it, I'm sure she tried to like, maybe even love her only child. At one time, at least.

But I knew, even then, that she held me solely responsible for the desertion of the man she had loved.

Apparently, my father had left her on the very same night I had been born. The same night, in short, he had found out that his child was a girl. And blind.

She had hoped he'd be back in a few days, then a couple of months. She'd hoped he'd remember her after a year, and return. Now seven years had past, seven long years, without so much as a word from her husband. Even my mother had to give up hoping sometime..

And every time her eyes fell on me, every single time, I was sure of it, she would see the reason for her broken heart.

The trouble was, that she was the only mother I would ever have (or so I thought), and however much I tried to convince myself of the opposite, deep down, I yearned for her love and acceptance.

''See you later, then,'' I said, smiling slightly at my small joke, but she didn't seem to get it.

I sighed and finished my soup in silence, before falling sleepily onto the hard futon on the floor.

I didn't know it then, but it was to be my last night in the village.


	3. Bright Flames

CHAPTER 2: Bright Flames

Someone was shaking me, shouting my name desperately. I hoisted myself upright sleepily, and was about to ask Lee what the hell he was doing, when the smell of smoke hit my nose.

''We have to get out! Now!'' Lee yelled, and I scrambled to my feet, wondering how on earth I could have slept through the alarm call.

''Fire Nation,'' Lee told me quickly, as he slid the door open, and we made our way to the stairs among all those scared people on the old access balcony, everyone was jostling and pushing, desperate to get away as fast as they could.

''They were at the other end of the village, the last I heard of it, but that don't mean anything, they can be hear at any moment! All the soldiers are gone, they took off right after they saw what was coming, bastards didn't even call out the alarm!''

We had nearly made it to the wooden stairs leading down to ground level, when suddenly, out of nowhere, burning arrows were knocked loose and came right at us. I didn't know what they were, of course, and couldn't even hear them among the whimpers and shouts of the people surrounding me. But Lee saw them, and forced my head down. I could hear the dull thud they made as they hit the building behind us, and I could feel the flames growing in heat instantly. People really began to panic now, screaming in fear, hurling their bodies against the others. Someone even jumped from the balcony, and I could hear a loud crack and a groan of pain as he landed. Lee told me later that he had twisted his leg badly, and had tried to crawl away with his hands.

We were at the stairs, running down, our small bodies slipping through the others with ease. Another series of knocks and swishes, and this time I was ready for them, and pulled my head down low, and this time people were screaming in _pain_, unbearable pain, as the burning arrows found their marks, and I felt sick to my stomach. Was this really happening?

I could hear Lee calling my name from the ground and I forced myself to keep running down the endless stairs, the loud crackling of flames behind me, and then, something happened and I tripped and fell.

_I was lying on the floor, paralyzed with fear, breathing quickly, gasping, looking at the man standing over me, the man wearing the red uniform of the Fire Nation. He was leering at me, but then another man, older this time, dressed as a general, clapped the soldier on the back and shook his head._

_''Is she a bender?''_

_The soldier nodded._

_''Then kill her now, don't play with her.''_

_The soldier shrugged, looking slightly disappointed, then punched his fist in the air and a great jet of fire appeared to engulf me. So bright, those flames. So vivid._

_I screamed in fear, and then in pain. _

_And then everything went black once more. _

I was being carried by somebody, my arms around their neck, bobbing up and down, and the boy was running. He was panting unevenly.

''Lee?'' I asked feebly. I had no idea what had just happened. But the colours were branded in my head. Those magnificent, terrible colours. And the pain. They pain of being burned.

Had I just seen? Had I just been able to actually see?

''Toph!'' he cried, and I could hear relief in his voice. ''I thought you were well out of it!''

''What happened?''

''Well, you fell down the last few steps, you must've tripped or something.. I scooped you up and got the hell away from there.. we're out, Toph!''

And it was true, the cool night enveloped us both, far from the heat of the flames. I could still hear people screaming, but from far away now.

''You can put me down now, Lee..''

The moment my feet hit the hard cool ground, I could see again, and I breathed a sigh of relief. The village was about two miles away.. How long had I been out?

''We're going to the farm, Toph,'' Lee told me, ''They'll look after us..''

''Yeah..'' I was wondering about my mother. Had she tried to come back for me? Or had she just gotten out, as soon as she could? But, then again, what did it matter? She was dead.

Somehow, I just knew. There was no room for doubt.

We did finally reach the farm, but, apart from a couple of chicken-pigs in the yard, and an old ostrich-horse, it was deserted. The family had probably seen the bright glow in the darkness, and taken off, Lee had said. That had been the wisest course to take. As soon as the Fire Nation soldiers knew that there was a farm in the vicinity, they were bound to show up and demand food.

''We should only stay one night, Toph..'' Lee muttered, looking through cupboards in search of some food.

''Where'll we go then?'' I demanded.

''It's no good.. do you know if chicken-pigs lay eggs? If they don't, we'll have to roast them..''

''Where'll we _go_?'' I asked again, more plaintively.

''I don't really like the idea of killing those things, but even so..'' he muttered, more to himself than to me. He must have noticed the exasperated look on my face, because he finally answered.

''Where will we go?'' he repeated, as if it was the most imbecilic question he had ever heard in his life, ''Why, to Ba Sing Se of course, you idiot!''

I couldn't help myself, I had to smile.

I had always dreamed of going to that city of cities, to Ba Sing Se.


	4. The Long Way to Ba Sing Se

CHAPTER 3: The Long Way to Ba Sing Se

We left early the next day, at the crack of dawn. Lee had found an old map of the Earth Kingdom, and had assured me he would manage to find the way. We took the old ostrich horse, because it would have died anyway, with no one to feed it. That's what Lee told me, anyway, and I knew he was feeling bad for stealing the animal from his friends, even though it looked like they had left for good. It was a long journey to Ba Sing Se, four days at least, Lee had said. We were lucky, that the old ostrich-horse had been left behind.

We rode in silence for most of the first day, but took turns at sitting on the animal, because she was old, and couldn't carry both our weights, even though we were children.

I noticed that Lee was giving me longer turns, and complained, telling him just because I was blind, didn't mean I couldn't walk.

''Geez, Toph, you take everything as a personal insult right away.. I hadn't even noticed you were on longer than I was..''

''Yeah, right! You just don't want people thinking you let the blind girl walk, and -''

''Shut up! And get off that horse, you can walk the rest of the day and see if I care!''

Lee had killed two chicken-pigs the other night with a knife he had found in the farm, unable to wait to see if they really did lay eggs, and we roasted the remnants we had brought over a crackling fire at around noon. I noticed that Lee wasn't eating half as much as I was, and told him not to be so squeamish.

''_All_ meat is killed by someone, doesn't grow on trees..''

''Makes a difference, if you're the one who killed it,'' he grumbled, ''_You_ don't see their faces every time you take a bite..''

''Too right I don't, and excuse _me_ for not being able to sympathize with you..''

And we both laughed.

We set up camp long after the sun had gone down, and our ostrich-horse had nearly fainted from fatigue. As I climbed down, I could sense that we were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded only by sandy rocks and a few withered trees.

There was no need to build a fire, because the sun had been blazing down all day, and the cracked ground was still comfortably warm.

Lee fell asleep in no time, but I lay wide awake. All the terrible thoughts of what had occurred the day before were clustering in my head, squirming and twisting in my mind, like a bunch of snakes. I had managed to keep them at bay during the day, because I had other things to occupy my mind, like my hunger and thirst, the scorching sun, the fatigue, the effort it took to put one foot before the other, without fainting from exertion.

But now, there was nothing to stop it. I thought of the people I had heard, screaming in pain as the burning arrows hit them. I had known those people, my neighbours. And now they were dead.

The cruelty of it all. What had been the point of attacking such a small, insignificant village as ours? I was seven-years-old at the time, and thought there had to be some explanation other than pure malice, but for the life of me I couldn't think of what that explantation would be.

But the memory that stuck in my head the clearest was that of my.. Was it a vision? I didn't know what else it could have been. Those colours! And I had been able to name them. Red, that scorching dark hue.. How on earth had I known that this was the colour red? And the flames, were they really so bright? And the pain, the worst physical pain imaginable! And I had felt it! But how could that be? Lee had never left my side.

And the worst thing of all, the utter, absolute certainty of her death. My mother's death. How would I have known? Why was I so sure that she had been killed that night? I couldn't answer that.

All I knew was that she was dead.

Lee had informed me happily that all the refugees ended up in Ba Sing Se, that we would probably meet the farm family there, and my mother, too.

My mother is dead, I had thought, numbly, My mother is dead. But I hadn't told him. He would ask how I knew, and I didn't know myself. He would feel sorry for me, and I hated pity.

It occurred to me, that I hadn't cried for my mother. I tried to then, but I just couldn't.

Surely I would be able to squeeze out a few tears for her? She was the only mother I had. But all I could feel was a numbed sort of sadness, and I hoped with all my might, that wherever she was now, she wouldn't know that her only daughter couldn't even shed one tear for her death.


	5. The Legend of the White Dragon

CHAPTER 4: The Legend of the White Dragon

''How much longer till we get there?''

''Stop asking me that! This is only the third day! We need at least another one and a half- I've _told_ you!''

It was my turn on the horse, and for once, I wasn't complaining. The sun was as hot as ever, hotter even, and I had never felt so downright exhausted in my life. We had passed only a few small towns and villages, and had to beg for food and money, but there's at least one advantage in being a small, blind girl. People just feel too guilty if they don't put a few coins in your hand. So we hadn't starved, and had even found a friendly, sympathetic woman who let us stay in her home for the last night. The other night we had slept in an old barn without asking the farmer for fear he would refuse. His mara-dogs caught our scent though and started howling and baying, and we had only gotten out just in time.

''Lee?''

''What now?'' he asked irritably.

''I think there's something wrong with the ostrich-horse..''

She had been panting and wheezing, for the last half hour, but it was far louder now.

Lee paused to listen, then he told me to get off. There was a huge wizened tree a little down the road, and he gestured to that.

''Let's rest a while.. if we keep on walking, I don't know how long she'll last..''

So he took the horse by the rains and we headed over to the tree. There wasn't much of a shade, because it was completely devoid of leaves. When I pointed this out to Lee and asked him why that was, in the middle of the Summer and all, he seemed bewildered.

''But how do you know the tree hasn't got any leaves?''

''Oh,'' I said, too surprised to be angry at him for pointing out my handicap, ''I suppose I can feel it, like I feel everything else that's on the ground..''

But I had never been able to feel whether a tree had leaves or not. Was I becoming better, more sensitive to my surroundings? It seemed so.

''Tell me a story, Lee.''

He laughed. ''Thought that was coming.''

Then he launched into the legend of the white dragon. The white dragon was a healer, the most powerful healer spirit of all time. Learned water benders studied his art, and developed a healing of their own in time, with the use of water. But the white dragon wasn't a water spirit, he was the spirit of air, and the spirit of earth, his natural habitat a gigantic forest, which used to stretch from one side of the Earth Kingdom to the other, and which didn't exist anymore, for the most part. A few smaller forests remained to this day, all that was left of the white dragon's home.

The white dragon could transform himself into a human at will, and used to do so quite often, in the olden days, when the spirits walked among us. He would use his human shape to heal people, to come to their homes and place the palms of his human hands over their broken bodies. Some historians said that those palms would glow, a sort of bright greenish glow, before the patients would sit up, fully recovered.

As to the actual shape of his human form, no one could be sure. Some said he turned into an old, wise man, with bright green eyes, some said it had been a woman, the most beautiful woman one could imagine. Others maintained it was a young boy, no more than twelve years old, although his eyes, his pail grey eyes, looked so much more ancient.

The dragon had vanished from the physical world, along with all the other spirits, when the humans became too greedy, to power hungry.

But it was said that travellers who venturing near the patches of forest, that had once been the largest forest in the world, and the white dragon's home, would wake up in the morning to find that their injuries were gone. People used to travel to these places, dubbed White Wood, by the inhabitants of the nearest villages, from all over the world, with wounds or disabilities, and were almost never disappointed. They would stay the night, and wake up, completely cured.

But that had changed now. The dragon seemed to be dead, if it was possible for spirits to die, because, for the past twenty-five years or so, no one had been healed, no one had seen the dragon's ghost-like shape flying over the tree tops at night, no one had seen the mysterious green-blue glow in the darkness.

Some suspected that the great dragon had become so disgusted with the material, corrupt humans, that he had ceased to come. Others thought that the more vicious spirits, who had been opposed of him helping the humans for centuries, had finally killed him, as punishment for his alliance. Still others thought he had simply lost his power.

But the fact remained, that the white dragon was gone.

I closed my eyes in ecstasy. ''That was good. I really liked that story...''

''Yeah, me too,'' Lee said, reaching over me to grab the tattered bag the woman, who had taken us in the previous night had given him. She had filled it with enough food to last to Ba Sing Se and and back.

''Really nice of her to give us all this.. What was her name again? Ulla, I think..''

''_Urna_, idiot.''

''Well, whatever her name was, I'm grateful,'' Lee said, biting into a crab puff.

''Hey, I want some too!'' I shouted indignantly, ''I want a rice cake!''

''What's the magic word,'' Lee asked, and I could tell by the sound of his voice that he was smirking.

''Now!''

He threw one over to me, apparently forgetting that I was blind, and it landed neatly on my head. Not wanting to waste it, I picked up a stone and lobbed it at him, gathering up as much rice as I could and transferring it to my mouth.

''No earthbending!''

''I threw it, idiot.''

It almost seemed like we were back in the village, under our beloved old oak.

''C'mon Lee, let's have another story..''

He hesitated for a moment, clearly wanting to get a move on, but the temptation was too great. I knew that he loved telling his stories almost more than I loved listening to them.

''Pick one of your favourites, then,'' he said, ''I'm too tired to think of one you haven't heard yet..''

I had a lot of favourites, the Cave of two Lovers was one, the first two earthbenders, who had learned their skills from badger-moles, or the story of the little Water Tribe girl who could look into the spirit world, or the defeat of the Dragon of the Wests by the walls of Ba Sing Se.

I had finally chosen Avatar Kyoshi, the earthbender who had helped the people in Ba Sing Se so much and Lee had started telling her story, but then he drifted to the the last Airbender, or the dead Avatar, as people were calling him. The Avatar who had vanished from the face of the earth.

Lee firmly believed he would be back, sooner or later, he would lead the people against the Fire Nation, he would help us win the war. I considered this thought even more absurd than his delusion of becoming Earth King someday.

If Lee had only known how soon he was to be proven right.. If I had only _guessed_ what my part would turn out to be.. But of course, neither of us could see into the future.

''Lee, you're nuts!''

''Why's that?''

''Where d'you think he's been all these years, if he isn't dead? And even if he did come back, what could a hundred-year-old man do?''

''He's been recovering and training, of course! And c'mon, the Avatar is the bridge between this world and the spirit world, I don't think he'll let a little thing like age stop him..''

We argued on similar lines until we couldn't be bothered anymore. It was so hot, it was so comfortable, sitting in the semi-shade of that tree, that we soon drifted off to sleep.


	6. The Coin

CHAPTER 5: The Coin

Lee woke me by poking his foot into my back, rather harder than was necessary and I guessed his head was still hurting after I had thrown the stone at it.

''Get up, snoozles. It's still two hours before the sun goes down, and we've waisted half the day already..''

I got to my feet moodily, rubbing my eyes, as Lee went over to the ostrich-horse.

''Lee,'' I said suddenly, ''People are coming! On ostrich-horses, I think. They're coming this way!''

He went over to the bag on got something out, before running to the road to scan down it.

''It's all right!'' he shouted as he ran back to me, ''They're wearing the Earth Kingdom uniform!''

''What's that you're holding?'' I asked him, as we led our old horse to the road.

''Oh,'' he said, rather self-consciously, tucking it into his belt, ''That's the knife from the farm.. Thought it wouldn't hurt to have a bit of protection..''

''Huh!'' I jeered, ''You don't even know how to fight! Not with a knife, anyway..''

''I can too,'' he hissed, but he didn't say any more, because at that moment the Earth Kingdom soldiers were passing on their mounts. I wondered with awe whether they were riding into a battle. We waited meekly for them to pass us, but they stopped just a few paces away.

''What's your name, boy?'' one of the men asked Lee.

''Lee, sir,'' he said, and I could hear the pride in his voice of being addressed by this great warrior. I felt a bit dejected, because the man had ignored me.

''Ah, a fine, strong name. How old are you, Lee? Thirteen?''

''Twelve and a half, sir.'' He had settled for mid-winter, as his unknown birthday a long time ago.

''Well, don't let that get you down,'' he smiled, and I heard a faint _pling_ as he tossed something towards Lee. Lee couldn't catch it and it fell to the ground, and I could feel that it was a coin. That was a bit of luck, I thought. We were nearly out of money.

''Thank you, sir!'' Lee beamed, picking up the coin gratefully.

The men were laughing, and I could almost see Lee grinning along with them, wanting to fit it.

I wasn't smiling, though. Something was wrong. Their laughter seemed to sound mocking, rather than merry. I tugged at Lee's arm nervously.

''Lee, let's get out..''

The men were still laughing. Even Lee had noticed it by now. Something was terribly, terribly wrong.

''Well, thank you for the money,'' Lee muttered, and we turned to leave.

''Where do you think you're going, boy?'' There was a definite note of hostility in the man's voice now.

Both of us froze. My mind was screaming at me to run, to get away, but my body didn't seem to respond. And Lee would never run away from anything.

''What?'' he asked, all trace of his previous admiration gone.

''That's the king's coin you just accepted, boy.''

Lee stared down in horror at the gold piece he was holding and I could hear the slight panic in his voice.

''No I didn't! You gave it to me and-''

''And you accepted it, boy. Welcome to the Earth King's army!''

And two of the men jumped down from their ostrich-horses and fell on Lee. He cried out in rage and shock, and reached for his knife, but they were too quick for him.

''Even got a weapon, this one,'' one of the men jeered. ''Careful, boys, he'll have your heads off, if you're not careful..''

I was screaming and hitting and shoving the man, because in those days I had to concentrate pretty hard to earthbend, which was quite impossible now. And he struck me away with the back of his hand, as if I were a fly, and I was knocked off my feet, and banged my head on the ground.

Their voices were fading now and I could barely feel them on the ground, but I was dimly aware of them bundling up Lee, and throwing him onto one of their horses, of his angry screaming, of their jeers, of his calling, calling my name. Then I lost consciousness.

When I woke up again, they were gone. All gone. The soldiers, and Lee. The bag with the rest of our money and food. Even the old ostrich-horse.

I was alone.

The Earth Kingdom was full of these press gangs, men roaming round the country, forcing young men and boys into the army against their will. But I didn't know that at the time. I couldn't understand it. How could these soldiers, real soldiers, not those thugs left back to protect the towns, how could soldiers of our great kingdom act like that? We were the good side, the side who fought the Fire Nation, how could this happen?

I ran down the road, the way they had been going when we first met them, I ran and I ran. I called Lee's name, but of course, no one answered. I ran until I dropped from exertion, and fell down, quivering not with cold, but anger and a deep, sickening sadness.

Useless. I was useless and helpless and weak.

And Lee was gone.


	7. The Rice Man

CHAPTER 6: The Rice Man

I woke as the first drops of rain fell onto my face, forcing my blind eyes to open. I was still lying in the middle of the road, and it took me a moment to remember why I was feeling so utterly, utterly miserable. Then I didn't want to get up, I just wanted to lie there, to keep lying there, until I died. But soon the downpour became so heavy, that I abandoned my new ambition, and rose. I didn't know where I was going, only that I would knock on the next door I came across, to find shelter from the rain. But no houses seemed to come.

Soon my bare feet were wading through deep puddles at the side of the road, but I was afraid to walk in the middle, for fear of being run over by ostrich-horses or carts, because it was far harder for me to see with my feet in the rain, with millions of drops pattering on the ground.

I had no idea how long I had been walking, no idea if I would ever come across even one lone cottage. My stomach felt so empty and I tried not to think of the bag of food Urna had given us. Then I tried not to think of what would happen to Lee.

Was he really in the army now? Was he going to fight the Fire Nation? With what? With the kitchen knife he stole? He was only a boy, how could they expect him to fight? But if he really was a soldier in the army now, he wouldn't be able to leave. Deserters were hunted down and killed, everyone knew that..

Later, even Lee faded from my mind, as I sank to the cold wet floor, unable to move another step. Thoughts of how long it would take me to die flitted through my head, and I wondered whether I would be able to tell. Would everything still be black? Black nothingness? Or was there a world of the dead? Would I be able to see colours there? I thought back to the vibrant, dazzling, _terrifying_ colours of my vision, the fear I had felt when the bright gush of fire came towards me, and wasn't so sure I wanted that.

By now, I had become absolutely convinced that I was at death's door. No question about it. I was going to die. _I_ was going to die. It seemed almost a relief at that moment. Sweet nothingness.

Then I felt something heading towards me, fainter than I would ordinarily have felt if it hadn't been raining quite so hard, but there all the same. I was too weary to try and hide, I had nothing they could steal, and who would want a blind girl fighting in their army? Besides, I was going to die soon, anyway.

As it drew closer I could feel that it was a cart, drawn by something that could be a bull-antelope.

''You there, girl!'' the old man sitting at the front yelled over to me.

''What do you want?'' I asked, annoyed that I couldn't even die in peace.

''Whatcha doin' there?''

I almost laughed at the idiocy of the question. What did it look like?

''Oh, I'm having the time of my life here!'' I yelled back, wishing he would leave. My forehead was burning and that had to be a sure sign that my end was near..

''Dang, girl,'' he shouted, jumping down his cart and crouching down beside me, ''Why're you lyin' here? There's a village not one mile that way..''

''Well, I couldn't make it, that's obvious, isn't it?''

I heard a sharp intake of breath, as he looked into my face.

''Why girl, you blind? Poor thing..''

I decided to hate him for the rest of my short life. But before I could tell him exactly what I thought of him, he had gathered me up into his arms and walked over to his cart. He let me sit next to him as we rattled on, keeping a tight hold of my shoulder all the time, doubtlessly fearing that I would fall off, if he didn't. But I was too tired to complain, and soon I was asleep.

I woke up when he tapped me gently on my shoulder. The rain was still pattering all around us.

''We're in the village now, girl. I know a nice family here, they could put you up for the night.. I have to keep on travelin'..''

''Where are you going to?'' I asked, somewhat dismayed, because he had just saved me a long walk, let alone a certain death, and although I had sworn to hate him for the rest of my life, I couldn't help but feel a little sad that he would leave me so soon.

''I'm goin' to Full Moon Bay, to deliver my cargo,'' he said gesturing behind him, then seeming to remember my blindness, cleared his throat uncomfortably. ''Rice, crates of rice. After that I'm goin' back to my farm, that's south from Moon Bay, though.''

''Where is Full Moon Bay?'' I asked, wondering if it was anywhere near Ba Sing Se. That was the only possible destination for me, because there was always a slim chance that Lee would show up. Anyway, it was the only city I knew by name.

''Full Moon Bay's about two hours the way we're goin','' the old man said, ''It's just south of the Earth Kingdom capital, at the beginnin' of the Eastern Lake. Full Moon Bay's the ferry station to Ba Sing Se.''


	8. The Healer

CHAPTER 7: The Healer

I couldn't help but gasp in wonder, when I finally arrived at Full Moon Bay. It was gigantic. In a huge cove where hundreds of people were waiting on the stone landing in one of the many queues, waiting, to get tickets to the the city. And behind the harbour walls, the Eastern Lake began, I could feel three wooden ferries, in the water, with a bridge of earth leading to them. Still more people were huddled at the far end, where I had just come in, doubtlessly having already obtained their tickets, waiting until they were allowed to enter the ships that would take them to their new lives.

So many people, more than I had ever seen (well, felt) together at one time. There were the elderly, hunched up and shivering slightly at the cool air of the cove, there were men and woman of all shapes and sizes, talking in hushed excited voices, cooking soup over small fires, there were children, running and jumping and squeaking, hardly, it seemed, being able to wait until that glorious moment when they could step onto the ferry. There were little babies, crying in their mothers arms. Most of the people seemed to be weary and tired, but all of them, _all_ of them were excited. I could feel the anticipation in the air, and it was contagious. I could hardly wait to get there.

I had said good-bye to the rice man, who had to take his cart a little further than the actual bay, as all food that was to be transported by the ferry had to be checked for health reasons first. I had felt sad as his wooden cart trundled away, leaving me behind and alone. But I told myself sternly that I was going to the Earth Kingdom capital. I was going! And I would meet Lee there, and everything would be all right. I was sure of that now. No way they would let a young boy fight at the front. They would let him go, and he would come here too. It was as easy as that.

I took a deep breath and stepped forwards to join the nearest queue of people in front of a podium where an attendant was handing out the tickets. The line of people shuffling forwards was excruciatingly slow. I hopped with impatience, but soon, all I wanted to do was lie down. My forehead was starting to burn again, and I was feeling dizzy. At first I was afraid that I might just drop dead, right there in the queue, but then I remembered the old rice man assuring me that I hadn't been about to die when he found me.

''You just had a fever, girl. Ain't pleasant, but ain't gonna kill you, not after one day, at least..''

So, I wasn't going to die. But the fever had come back again, and no wonder, too. Both the old man and I had been drenched in rain when we'd arrived at the bay, and although my clothes were drying slightly now, they were still cold and damp.

I gritted my teeth and tried not to sway too badly when I walked. I was about to swallow my pride and sit down, when I realized that I was nearly at the front of the line.

The change was instantaneous. I forgot my throbbing head and weariness and reverted to hopping eagerly from one foot to another again. I was nearly there!

''Next..'' said a bored female voice. It took me a second to notice that it was my turn, and I almost skipped to the stone podium in my excitement. It was so tall, that I had to stand up on tiptoe, so that the tips of my fingers could touch the surface. I did so to gain the woman's attention. I could feel her leaning over it, to look down at me.

I cleared my throat nervously.

''Um, one ticket to Ba Sing Se, please..''

''Passport?'' she asked, holding out her hand to receive it.

This had me somewhat stumped.

''Huh?''

''Your passport,'' the woman repeated irritably, ''Have you got one?''

''No one told me you had to have a passport..''

''Well, I would have thought that was obvious,'' she said, ''We're not going to let complete strangers into our capital, are we? Could be anyone, from criminals to Fire Nation spies..''

''What? Do I look like a Fire Nation spy? Spy what? I'm blind!''

She seemed to be vaguely amused at that, I could her her chuckle under her breath anyway. But when she spoke again, my slightly raised hopes were let down with a thump.

''I'm sorry, kid. I really am. But it's the regulations, see? Look over there..'' She paused for a second, doubtlessly trying to rephrase the sentence for the ears of a blind girl, ''Over there, at the far end, that's where people go who've lost their passports. Are your parents here? Or the people you came with? I'm sure they'd want to know, too..''

''I didn't come with anyone, just me,'' I said, feeling dizzy and ill again. ''Would those people give me a passport?''

''They will, eventually, yes.''

''How long's eventually?''

''Two to three weeks. They need to-''

''But my family's already in the city, waiting for me!'' I invented wildly. No way was I waiting that long!

But the woman cut across me. ''Don't lie to me, if you don't know how. If that were true, you would have mentioned it already.''

That stung. ''I do too know how to lie! And anyway, I just _forgot_ to mention it earlier-''

But an angry voice interrupted me from behind. ''How much longer do I have to wait for those tickets, I'm seventy-five, you know!''

''Right, right, sorry...'' the woman muttered, then turning to me said: ''Look, kid, just go to the damn passport agency.''

''But my family-''

''Even if that were true, you'd still need a passport, kid.''

I stepped out of line dejectedly to let the old lady behind me to the front. I was just about to turn and walk to the passport agency when the woman at the podium spoke again, more sharply, this time.

''Kid, come here a minute!''

''What now?''

''Just come here.''

I climbed up the few steps leading to the podium, wondering whether I had broken some house rule without knowing it. But all the woman did was put a hand on my sweaty forehead.

''I thought so,'' she said, more to herself than to me, ''You're burning up. Come on, sit down.''

Utterly bewildered, I sat. Her hand was still on my forehead, and suddenly it felt warmer, hot, even, and I could hear a very soft, barely audible buzzing. And then my dizzy sensation was gone, along with the uncomfortable burning of my cheeks and forehead.

My fever had gone.


	9. Part of Me

CHAPTER 8: Part of Me

''Well, you're fine again, kid,'' the woman said, turning back to the old lady who was tapping her foot on the ground impatiently and muttering dark threats under her breath.

In a daze, I put my own hand to my forehead. I was fine.

''Come on, kid, get up, and off to the passport agency!''

But an idea had just occurred to me.

''I won't leave, until you give me my ticket.'' It wasn't the best of plans, but still worth a try.

''Well, good luck with that,'' she said, sounding amused, ''But I suppose it's only fair to tell you, that we have security here and-''

She had to leave it there, because the old woman had finally exploded in indignation.

''They'll ship me to the city in my coffin, if this goes on! This service is disgraceful! And me a feeble old lady!'' she roared, and the woman bent over her podium quickly to receive the passport and hand her the ticket.

''Miserable old bat,'' she muttered after the lady had stalked away. She leafed through her papers, having apparently forgotten me. I cleared my throat loudly.

''Next,'' she called out to the queue of waiting people, ignoring me completely.

''Will you give me my ticket?'' I asked hopefully, as she examined the passports of the small family who had stepped up.

''Of course not.'' She stamped the ferry tickets of the family and handed them to the father.

''Next!''

''Are you a healer?''

I could feel her turn to me. ''What's your name, kid?''

''Toph.''

She smirked. ''That's the most ridiculous name I've ever heard! _Toff_!''

''_Toph_, not Toff,'' I said angrily.

''Can't hear much difference..''

''What's your name then, if you're so clever?''

''I'm Tsunade.''

''Can't see how that's better,'' I muttered, then I brightened, as I thought of what Lee had used to say of my name. ''Anyway, my name suits me down to the letter! Toph sounds like tough, and that's what I am,'' I said, thumping myself on my chest proudly.

Tsunade laughed at that. ''Not bad, kid..'' She handed the man in front of her his ticket, then rummaged in a bag by her feet, drawing out two rice cakes.

''Want one?''

Tsunade asked me about myself, and I told her about my wealthy family, my pet badger-mole, my close friendship to the heir of the Earth King. After my lies had dried up, I started telling her about my village and Lee and his stories, and that, after two years at a farm, he still wasn't sure whether chicken-pigs laid eggs or not.

After a while, the people stepping forward to receive their ferry tickets were becoming fewer and fewer, but there were still occasional passengers who stepped up to Tsunade to show her their passports.

''You must have the most boring job in the world,'' I informed her.

Tsunade stamped another passport with unnecessary force.

''May I ask what your lofty mission in life is, that makes you sneer at my humble profession?''

''Huh?''

''What do you do that's so great?'' she translated patiently.

''Come on, I'm seven years old..''

''Who would have guessed?''

''No need to become scastic. Just because your job stinks..''

''The word,'' she said with icy dignity, ''I think you will find, is 'sarcastic'.''

''Well, no need to become scar..whatever.''

''I help refugees to Ba Sing Se every day! How many people do you help?''

''It's still a dull job.''

''Urgh! Will you shut-''

''Did you ever do anything else?'' I said quickly.

''I fought in the war.''

''Oh, are you a bender then?'' I asked eagerly, forgetting her healing abilities completely.

''Non-benders can be pretty good fighters, too,'' Tsunade said indignantly. ''But I was in the medical squad, so I was away from the front most of the time in any case.''

I was about to ask her why she quit such an exciting pastime to look at passports in Full Moon Bay, when she spoke again.

''I suppose you'll be one..''

''Be one what?'' I asked, mystified.

''A bender. You're an earthbender, right?''

I just grimaced and shrugged. I was embarrassed at my limited control of the material art.

''I thought you must be,'' Tsunade said, ''Well, I guess you'll be a real master someday..''

I scowled suspiciously, trying to decide whether she was mocking me.

''I don't like people making fun of my bending,'' I finally said quietly.

''I wasn't making fun of you! Of course you'll be great, no question about it! Didn't you say you can see by using the vibrations in the earth?''

''Well..yeah.''

''See? You're already using it right! Earth is a part of you. Did you really think you couldn't become a master because you were blind? What do you think the first earthbenders were?''

I gasped as the realization hit me. Of course, badger-moles were blind, too.

I smiled at her, feeling strangely proud of my blindness.

We had talked of other things after that, but that happy, proud sensation in the back of my mind had been present throughout, and it was difficult to keep the grin off my face. _I_ could become an earthbending master!

However hard I fought against the waves of sleep, they got me in the end, and I dozed off under Tsunade's soft jacket she had put over me because the cold.


	10. Fear of Blood

CHAPTER 9: Fear Of Blood

Tsunade yawned and opened her eyes sleepily. The girl was still lying there, with Tsunade's green jacket wrapped tightly around her like a blanket. As she looked, the kid muttered some in her sleep, then rolled over.

Then the bird cawed a second time, and Tsunade realized what had woken her. She looked to where it was perched, and with a jolt of unease she recognized the dark blue feathers of Jiraya's messenger bird. He would only write in an emergency..

The moment she had removed the scroll from its leg, the bird took off and had soon vanished into the darkness of the night.

The message seemed to have been scrawled onto the parchment in great haste, and all it read was:

_He knows. Get away! _

Tsunade gasped and a cold shiver ran down her spine. The old feeling of fear had returned. _He _knew where she was. The Great Snake knew where she was. How soon would it be until his followers arrived? Too soon. She had to get out. Ba Sing Se would make the most sense, seeing as where she was. He would probably guess where she had gone, but the great walls of the city had managed to withstand the Fire Nation for over a century. Surely, she would be safe there.

Tsunade looked at the hour glass on her podium. One more hour until the ferries left. She had to move quickly.

She got up quietly, so as not to wake the kid, and half-ran to her superior, who was writing something at his desk. She told him she was leaving and collected her wages. She felt lightheaded at the simplicity of it all. She was leaving. Going to Ba Sing Se. Just like that.

She went back to the podium and got a ferry ticket for herself, hesitated, looking at the sleeping girl, then reached for another.

Tsunade had only to whisper the kid's name, and she was awake, scrambling to her feet eagerly, as if she knew what was about to come.

''Still want that ticket to the ferry, kid?''

Toph smiled broadly, and there was a strange gleam in her blind eyes. ''I knew that it was something good. I knew it by the sound of your voice.''

So, when the time came, they boarded the ferry along with the rest of the refugees, and as the ship started to move out, Toph was clutching the railing, facing the way they were heading, with her eyes closed and a blissful smile on her face, as if she could already smell Ba Sing Se in the cool wind. Oh, she reminded Tsunade so much of Nawaki. Too much, almost, to be comfortable with.

Tsunade looked up at the dark sky, at the white, almost full moon, at the millions of barely discernible dots, sprinkled across the horizon, and heaved a sigh of relief. He would never get to her in the capital.

The refugees could take thin blankets for the night on deck from the storage room, and Tsunade sent Toph to get two, as the room was not supervised by an attendant and there was usually a pushing, shoving, crowd gathered around it. The girl was small enough to slip through the people and procure the newer, softer blankets, rather than the worn, scratchy ones, most people would end up with.

Tsunade herself would line up for the food. Food? More like rest overs, of an unappetizing meal at that, Tsunade thought bitterly as she walked back to the deck, trying not to breath in the nauseating fumes of the contents of the two bowls she was holding. Toph was already there, sitting on one of the better blankets, and holding the other out to Tsunade.

''Was one of the first in,'' she said proudly, ''Aren't many good blankets there, but I found two of 'em!''

She wrinkled her nose as Tsunade put down the bowls.

''Urgh! What's that?''

''They say it's potato soup,'' Tsunade shrugged, ''But I'm not sure if I believe them..''

Toph, who had dipped her finger into the brew and licked it cautiously, spat it out again with force.

''No way am I eating that muck. It tastes like puke.''

''Well, I never heard of a refugee being so picky in all my life,'' Tsunade said indignantly, ''Don't eat it then, but you won't get anything else.''

''I'd rather starve to death.''

Tsunade snorted, then raised the bowl to her mouth. It really did taste like puke.. With a tremendous effort, she managed to swallow it. She put the bowl to one side, feeling nauseous.

''You can have mine too, seeing as you like it so much,'' Toph grinned slyly.

Most of the other passengers were asleep by now, but Toph seemed far too excited for that. She would have walked round the entire ship, if Tsunade hadn't told her to stay put. Refrained to siting, her restless fingers tapped endlessly on the wooden floor, keeping Tsunade awake.

''Why are you so tense?'' she finally asked, goaded beyond endurance. ''You don't really have a family there waiting for you, do you?''

''No, but it's the capital, isn't it?'' Toph said eagerly, the words toppling out of her in quick succession in her excitement. ''The place where Avatar Kyoshi helped the poor workers, where one says the ghosts of terrible murders cluster at the East of Lake Logai, where the dragon of the West was defeated only five years ago!''

''You certainly know your legends,'' Tsunade smiled.

''My friend told them all to me. That's why I'm so excited too, because I'll meet him there, they're sure to let him off. He's just a kid. He can't fight.''

''Let him off from what?''

After Toph had told her, Tsunade looked at Toph uneasily.

''He's the only one you know in Ba Sing Se?''

''Yes. But he'll be there soon, if he isn't already.''

''What if he isn't coming at all?'' How like a kid, not to think these things through. ''Do you even know where you're going to stay after you get there?''

Toph just shrugged. How like a kid, just to think it would all sort itself out. How like Nawaki..

''Well, Toph, I'd say you were pretty lucky, running into me.. Because I, unlike you, know exactly what I'm going to do. And I'll be needing an assistant.''

The enormity of this decision almost took her breath away. It had been years, years, since she had worked as a healer.. and now she was handicapped. Blood phobia wasn't the ideal characteristic for any healer.. But she could handle it. As long as she saw the blood on _living_ people, she could handle it.

A corpse, lying in a pool of red crimson came to her mind. The face barely recognizable. And then another image, a crying man carrying a small, broken body in his arms, the blood dripping steadily onto the floor, drip, drip-

No! She would not be reminded of that!

''Anything wrong?'' Toph asked, bringing her out of her revelry. Tsunade wrenched her mind away from the nightmare, and her trembling stopped.

''What should be wrong? We're going to Ba Sing Se.''


	11. The Fountain of Death

CHAPTER 10: Fountain of Death

As the ferry drew closer to the dock, I had to struggle against the waves of sleep, which seemed to come out of nowhere, and our arrival, the long queue at the passport control and the waiting at the train station passed in a haze of tiredness. I asked Tsunade how she had gotten me past the control without a passport, but she had just shrugged, and I was too sleepy to ask her again.

The train finally came, propelled forwards by two earthbenders at the back, and I made Tsunade swear to wake me, the moment we had reached the inner wall of the city.

She kept her promise and shook me gently when the time came, and I was awake in a moment, too excited to feel drowsy. But it was no good. All the other people crowded to the windows to look out, but I was on a moving train, and couldn't feel a thing.

''We'll be out soon, and then you'll see more than we do,'' Tsunade told me, clearly noticing my disappointed face.

''How does it look?''

''Amazing.''

And it was. We got off at the next station, and the moment my feet touched the cobbled ground, I couldn't help but gasp. So many houses, and how tall they all were! The markets, the trees, the statues, I could feel their shapes, shapes of heroes long gone, spirits once worshipped, and more. So much more. And the people, millions and millions of them, all around me. I could feel the first beams of warmth on my skin, and knew that the sun was just rising, and the city was just coming to life as I stood there. People leaving their homes to walk down the narrow streets to work, merchants yelling out their goods, children running and jumping.

It was magnificent.

Tsunade gave me a little push in the back to get me moving. ''Come on, we can't stay here all day, we've got to find the apartment they've assigned us to..''

I followed her, but kept lagging behind, savouring this smell, and that that feeling. Then I stopped dead in my tracks, and turned into a side ally. I could hear Tsunade's impatient groan, as she ran up to where I was standing.

''What now? Can't you even walk down a street without-''

''Look!'' I cried, pointing.

''A fountain,'' she said in a matter-of-fact voice

''A _fountain_!'' We were standing in a large circular space, in the middle of which was the said object, which made me glow with joy.

''Well? What about it?''

''It's the fountain of the dead,'' I said, running towards it and dipping my dirty feet into the cool water. Lee had told me its story, and he had also made plans to find it, the moment we reached Ba Sing Se. There was no doubt in my mind, that this was it, and I smiled happily at beating him to it. But I was even happier at knowing, where I would find him. I would just have to look by here every day, because Lee would be here, as soon as he arrived. No question about it.

''The fountain of death?'' Tsunade asked, clearly exasperated.

''That's right.''

''So, what are you doing, dangling your feet in the water of the fountain of death?''

''Oh, it's all right,'' I assured her cheerfully, ''Haven't you heard that story? You can touch the water, that doesn't matter, but you mustn't drink it, that's all.''

''Is it poisoned?'' she asked, stifling a yawn.

''No, but when you drink it, you'll die the next day. Maybe get trampled by a hoard of raging rabbit-wolves, or you fall off a high building, or get struck by lighting..or _anything_!''

''Uh-huh?''

''Yes, and then your ghost is drawn back to the fountain, and has to stay there for all eternity! See, we're surrounded by millions of ghosts right now, only you can't see 'em and I can't feel 'em, but they're there!''

''Right.''

I stretched out my arm and grabbed a fistful of air. ''See, I just got a few of 'em now!'' I crowed.

''It is prohibited to put your feet in the water of the fountain,'' said a voice and both of us whipped round in shock.

''What?'' Tsunade asked scathingly, ''Kids can't even splash around in a fountain here? Who are you to tell us what to do?''

''It's all right,'' I assure the man, ''I'm not gonna drink the water, I know the story.''

''I am a member of the Dai Li, the secret police of this city, so that should give me every right to tell you what to do,'' he said smoothly.

Tsunade hoisted me out of the water, though I could feel resentment in her, and we walked back to the main road quietly.

''Sorry,'' I said, ''I didn't know I was breaking any rules..''

''From now on,'' she said, ''You'll have a splash in that fountain every time you pass, and I'll just keep a look out for that robbed guy. Imagine- telling _me_ what to do..''

''And _me_!''

''Yeah, and you,'' she smiled.

Our new apartment was part of a block of houses, all clustered together, and there seemed to be a lot of families there, with babies screaming through the paper thin walls, and kids running up and down the stairs, or playing earth ball in the small yard. We had to climb all of the stairs, before we reached the door that was ours.

It was a small apartment, with only two rooms, but Tsunade didn't seem to mind, and nor did I.

It felt like home already.

''All right,'' Tsunade said brightly, ''Get your rest while you can, kid. Tomorrow the healing business will begin!''


	12. They Are One

CHAPTER 11: They Are One

News travelled fast, it seemed, Tsunade thought happily, as her latest client left the room, completely cured of his chronic penta pocks. She was standing in her office (otherwise her and Toph's bedroom during the night) counting the money. Not bad.. not bad at all, and it wasn't even noon yet.

They had opened two weeks ago, and ever since the first day, had had a constant stream of visitors. There was certainly a lot of money in the healing business, especially in the Earth Kingdom, far away from the icy poles of the Water Tribe, where water bending girls learnt the art as a matter of course.

But Tsunade knew that her healing was different. She didn't use water, but derived her powers from the ancient spirit inside her...

A young woman with a swollen stomach slid the door open and smiled at Tsunade shyly. Tsuande nodded in her direction, but directed her loud bellow to her assistant in the other room.

''Toph! You should be opening the door for them!''

The loud-voiced answer of her young assistant made the already startled pregnant woman jump even more.

''They can open a door themselves!You don't want me to insult them, do you? Making it seem as if I thought they were to stupid to open doors!''

''I don't care what you think they think you think of them!''

''What? Say that again?''

Purple in the face, but with an assuring smile to the frightened-looking pregnant woman, Tsunade yelled: ''Just open the damned door for them, kid!''

''All right, all right,'' her assistant muttered condescendingly, ''No need to lose your temper like that..''

Tsunade ignored the voice and focused her attention on the young woman.

''Well?''

Then, remembering that the young woman was a paying customer, added ''What can I do for you, Ma'am?''

The woman explained that she hadn't felt the baby move in two days, and asked whether Tsunade could check and see if it was all right.

Nothing easer than that. Tsunade placed the palms of her hands onto the swollen stomach. She could feel the baby, it was weak, but not too weak. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly, concentrating. When she had opened them again, a blue-greenish orb surrounded her hands on the woman's stomach.

It only took a moment, and then the orb vanished and Tsunade got to her feet again.

''She'll be fine now,'' she told the woman.

''She?''

''That's right.''

''Thank you,'' the woman whispered with tears in her eyes, ''That you ever so much..''

You shouldn't be thanking me, Tsunade thought bitterly, feeling suddenly guilty. You don't owe me anything. I'm doing it for the money. It's _him_ you should be thanking.

She had heard the legends of the White Dragon as a little girl, well, her home town had been on the very outskirts of what was left of the spirit's home forest, it would have been difficult _not_ to hear. Injured or ill travellers often past, on their pilgrimage. Nearly none of them came back disappointed.

The dragon spirit was the healer, a true healer, asking for nothing in return..

''Excuse me?'' she asked, realizing that the woman was talking to her.

''I asked how much I owed you.''

''Nothing. I don't take money for saving children's lives.'' That made Tsunade feel a little better at any rate.

_Well done, _said a voice in the back of her head.

When she had been younger, she had wished the White Dragon would talk to her more often, like a secret friend, only she could see. She had even asked him questions, thinking them in her mind, but he had only answered in monosyllables, if he had answered at all. Soon, she had just accepted his silence. He wasn't human, so there was no reason why she should expect him to act like one.

But on those rare occasions when he did speak to her, she felt a thrill in her heart and knew that they were friends. More than friends. They were one.

He was part of her, and she was part of him. Ever since that night in the forest. She didn't feel at all awkward, knowing that the spirit was conscious of all her thoughts and feelings. They were one.

She had never regretted her decision to save the White Dragon. Not one single day of her life.

The door slid open again, and she saw Toph's scowling face.

Tsunade didn't really need an assistant, but she knew Toph wanted to help. To do something. She didn't want Toph to think she was taking care of her out of pity. If Toph thought that, she might even leave. Because Toph was just like Nawaki. Both of them convinced they could take care of themselves, nothing was too difficult. They could handle anything and scorned people who wanted to help them out of pity.

But pity was the last thing on Tsunade's mind.

The kid intrigued her. Interested her. Reminded her.. Made her feel happy.

So she had given Toph little jobs, enough for the girl to think of herself as earning her living, jobs like sending the patients into her office one by one, judging which patients had priority, if there were more than one, and opening the door for them, of course..

Tsunade handled the money, mainly because she knew the exact amount of help she had been able to be, but also because she could see what the people were wearing, which told her how much money they had (although until now all her clients were from the lower ring), because she made sure not to charge too much. Anyway, people might feel tempted to cheat a blind kid, if Toph asked for the money..

So, she didn't really need an assistant, but she needed Toph.

''Look? I'm doing it, aren't I?'' Toph said irritably from her position in the doorway, ''I don't see the sense, if they can open it themselves, but I'm _doing_ it..''

Then her face spilt into a grin. ''You'll never guess who's here.''

When she stepped aside, Tsunade couldn't help but grin too. Standing there in all her seventy-five years of age, was the old lady from Full Moon Bay. The one who had threatened death of old age, if she couldn't get her tickets this instant.

''I recognize the pair of you,'' she was growling at Toph, ''It figures, that it's you two. I've barely settled in next door, and all I can hear for two whole weeks is people coughing and moaning and trampling up and down the stairs-''

''What do you want?'' Tsunade asked wearily.

''Well,'' the old lady hesitated, directing her glare at Tsunade, ''Because of all the inconvenience I've been through on accounts of you, you're going to cure my lumbago. For free, I might add.''

''Oh, am I now?''

''Maybe you shouldn't have charged that much..'' Toph's voice trailed away uneasily. The old lady, as bad-tempered as ever, but cured of her back pains was stumping down the stairs loudly, and Tsunade was chuckling, while she counted her money.

Sometimes, life was just sweet. There was no other word for it.


	13. Curiosity

CHAPTER 12: Curiosity

''No way! You've had your chance, and you screwed it up!''

''I don't mind standing in the goal or-''

''Forget it. You're too young, anyway.''

I stamped my foot angrily and turned to leave.

''Fine, I didn't want to play your stupid game, anyway.''

That was a lie. And all of them knew it. The boys had been playing earth ball in the yard every day, since we'd moved in. Their only purpose in life seemed to be that game. And I had felt the tremors and vibrations in the earth they made, as they earthbent the ball towards the goal. And how I longed to join in!

They had said no the first time, but I had pleaded and begged and bargained and threatened, so they had relented into giving me a trial. But they were just too fast for me, and my bending couldn't keep up. It was embarrassing, but at least I was learning, I had told myself. After that first day, I felt better at controlling the earth already, and now those morons wouldn't let me play with them!

''I'm sorry, Toph,'' Han, the lankiest and friendliest boy said, ''But we want to play a tournament .. you can watch..''

''Yeah, I'll watch, no problem,'' I said sarcastically without turning round.

''We'll let you play with us next time..'' he persisted anxiously.

''Huh!'' But I smiled slightly, as I walked away. I would keep him to that promise. Han was all right, he always came down to the courtyard with gingerbread badger-moles and shared them with the rest of us, anyway. But he wasn't Lee.

Most of the boys living in our building played earth ball the whole day, and would mostly only let me 'watch'. Most of the girls my age had little dolls, mostly handmade by their mothers, and seemed to consider any game without a doll a game wasted. Prompted, in all probability, by her mother, one of the girls had asked me if I would like to join in. I had told her I didn't have a doll, and she'd seemed relieved that her company wouldn't be infested by my presence.

''That shouldn't stop you from playing,'' Tsunade had said, ''I could get you a doll, no problem..''

''I don't want one.''

''Most girls have one.''

''Most girls are idiots.''

I was glad that I was Tsunade's assistant. That gave me something to do, anyway. And it was fun, arguing with Tsunade about what assistants should or shouldn't do. And it was exciting, listening at the door, as Tsunade healed the patients, all of them.

She reminded me of the White Dragon, and I had asked her whether she had heard of the legend.

''Oh, yes. What do you take me for? I'm a healer, aren't I? Of course I've heard of the legend.''

''What do you think happened to him, then?'' I had asked eagerly.

She seemed to be amused. ''Well, I'm not sure.. what do you think?''

''I think the bad spirits killed him, the ones who didn't want him helping us.''

She laughed. ''Maybe..'' And I had gotten no more out of her than that.

I was wending my familiar way to the fountain of death, as I did once a day, at the very least. Every time I reached it, my heart would sink in disappointment, which only increased when I stayed there, waiting.

I knew Tsunade thought that Lee wasn't coming back, but that couldn't be true. He was only twelve! And anyway, the moment they found out that he couldn't fight, they _had_ to send him back...

But what if they didn't? Would he run away? That would be his best chance, really. But Lee would never run away. He prided himself on that insane principal. He would never want to be seen as a traitor. But traitor to what? To that press gang, who forced him into the army against his will? There was nothing treacherous about running away from that..

I reached the fountain and someone was there and my heart leaped and I bounded forwards, only to skid to a halt, as I felt who it was. I don't know how I could have ever taken him for Lee, he was taller, more strongly built, different all together.

''I have noticed you coming here quite often,'' the Dai Li agent said in his soft voice. ''Why?''

I just shrugged, feeling uncomfortable.

''Well then,'' he continued, ''If you don't have a reason, you might as well stop coming.''

''People don't always need a reason to do something,'' I said, finally finding my voice again, ''I just like the fountain, that's all..''

''Oh, I was just curious,'' he shrugged, then turned and seemed to glide away.

I sat down by the fountain, and waited for Lee, but I felt uneasy and watched the entire time, and I ran back to the apartment far sooner than I usually would have.


	14. Gambling

CHAPTER 13: Gambling

''Toph! Will you please stop bouncing that ball all over the place? I'm trying to work!''

I caught the ball and peace reigned in our little apartment once again. Not for long.

''It wasn't all over the place,'' I told her, because I wanted to be clear on these matters, '' jus' the same spot on the wall and the same spot on the floor-''

''Working here!''

I shut up and began to fidget.

After about 5 minutes (which for me at that time was a personal record) I decided to resume communication. ''What're you doing?''

''Working.''

I tried again. ''Working at what?''

''I'm putting all my medical knowledge onto paper.''

''Oh.''

I couldn't think of anything else to say on the subject, so I started picking my nose absentmindedly.

''Toph..''

''Everyone does it!''

But I stopped. I started to rap my fingers on the floor, enjoying the noise as I steadily made it louder.

''Toph, it's way past your bedtime.'' Tsunade was barely containing her impatience. ''Try and get some sleep, will you?''

''I can't. I dunno what it is, but sometimes I can't fall asleep all night..''

''You don't think this is one of these nights?'' there was definite note of panic in her voice now. I just shrugged.

''Well,'' she said resignedly, clearing all the scrolls from her table, ''Seeing as I won't get any work done this night anyway, we might as well have some fun..''

''What kind of fun,'' I asked her suspiciously, already knowing the answer.

''Gambling, of course!''

I sighed. She had already frequented the gambling dens since our arrival, but she had never taken me with her before.

''Are you sure,'' I asked tentatively, trying to put it as delicately as I could. ''I mean, I've noticed.. well, you seem to lose quite a lot..''

''No fun, if there isn't a chance of losing involved.''

''A chance, maybe,'' I said, ''But you don't seem to do anything _but_ lose.''

''Come on, you'll love it! I've been thinking of something you'd probably be able to do.. I want to try it out.''

So it was in that night I learned to separate truth from lies.

Tsunade told me that she had had the idea ever since she found out that I use the vibrations in the earth to see. She said only I could do it, because you had to wait and listen, and that's all I do. Wait and listen to the heartbeat of a person, to his breathing, wait for the physical reaction, which marks him as a liar.

I could do it, because I could use the neutral jiing.

I got the hang of it right away, and was so proud of myself that I couldn't help but smile self consciously all the way to one of the gambling dens.

''Take that smirk of your face, or people will get suspicious,'' Tsunade hissed as we entered the crowded room, full of smoke and the smell of strong spirits. She steered me over to the next table, where people were playing a dice game, where the best liar would eventually walk home with the winnings. Tsunade told them that I wasn't playing (obviously), but that I was interested and wanted to listen. They just shrugged. I sat down beside her, trying to look as innocent as possible.

Then the game started. Every time I sensed someone lie, I nudged Tsunade under the table with my foot. Sometimes she lifted the leather cup to reveal the dice, sometimes she didn't. She won the game in the end, and I thought we would go home now, because I was feeling more sleepy by the moment. But Tsunade went on to the next table, where they were playing another game.

''How can we cheat here?'' I asked her.

''We can't. But it's fifty fifty, I've got a good shot.''

She then preceded to loose all the money we had won, but remained optimistic to the last, never cutting her loses. And I wondered if all grown-ups were so stupid, even the ones that seemed clever.

She was also getting steadily more tipsy, slurring her words, as drinks seemed to be free for the gamblers here..

The last thing I remembered was her trying to borrow money from other people, assuring them that she couldn't possibly lose this one, before I finally fell asleep.

When I woke up in the morning, I was surprised to find myself in my bed. Tsunade was sleeping on the futon beside me, and jerked up groggily when I shook her shoulder.

''Did you bring me here, or did I dream it all?''

She cringed.

''Please don't shout so. Every word out of your mouth is an avalanche..''

''What?'' I asked, making her groan and put the pillow over her head.

''Kid, go to the medicine cabinet and get me some of the herbs..''

''What do they do?''

''They make the head feel smaller..''

I shrugged and got up, grinning. It hadn't been a dream.


	15. Visions Of Death

CHAPTER 14: Visions of Death

_I was panting heavily, glaring at my captors. The other soldiers were all determinedly looking at their feet, afraid eye contact would be interpreted as confrontation. I was the only one who was looking at them._

_I could feel something warm and wet on the side of my face, but I knew the wound wasn't deep. I would live._

_One of the Fire Nation soldiers nudged his friend and pointed towards me, and both of them smirked. I could feel myself trembling with suppressed rage, but I said nothing. _

_And hated myself for my cowardice._

_A man in his fifties arrived on the back of a rhino and dismounted, surveying his captives. Like before, I was the only one who looked him in the eye._

_He said something to his soldiers, who shrugged and gestured at our small group vaguely. As the general approached, I could feel a small ripple of fear pass through what was left of the Earth Kingdom soldiers. But he took no notice of them, and made a beeline for me._

_He grabbed me by the hair, pulling my head back, his cold eyes flitting over my face._

_Then he did something totally unexpected. He laughed._

_''Look at this, men!'' he shouted, still with a tight grip on my hair, ''The Earth Kingdom has been reduced to sending its children to the front to die!''_

_They all joined in, laughing and jeering and mocking us. And I had had enough. _

_I didn't think. I just acted. Out of impulse and utter stupidity. _

_The general had a small dagger in his belt, only inches away from my right hand. He was laughing so hard, that he only noticed I was holding it, when it was too late._

_''Don't ever underestimate me,'' I whispered._

_Then I plunged the knife into his stomach with all the force I could muster, not stopping until only the hilt remained. He screamed in shock and outrage and pain, and was drawing his fist back, ready to burn me._

_''Too late for that!'' and I pulled the dagger out of his body and stabbed him again. And again. And again. Screaming, spitting._

_''You murderer! This is for my parents!'' Stab._

_''This is for my village!'' Stab. Stab._

_''And this, this is for my best friend!'' And his life came away in my hands._

_I looked up, my arms and shirt drenched in blood, and saw why the Fire Nation soldiers hadn't stopped me. The Earth Kingdom captives had hurled themselves at the soldiers, fighting them off. But we were too few, of course, and they were too many. Far too many. And even as I looked, the last man fell to the Earth, to join the rest._

_Then the Fire Nation soldiers turned to me, and I knew what was coming and I didn't care. _

_But that was a lie, I thought as the spear bored through me and I sank to my knees, coughing up blood. That was a lie. Because I did care. There were so many things... so many things...I had wanted to..._

_And everything went black once more._

And I woke up screaming. Screaming.

I was lying on the futon in our little two-roomed apartment, the blankets twisted painfully around me, damp from my sweat.

I was still in Ba Sing Se.

And Lee was dead.

I turned to one side and vomited on the floor.

Tsunade had rushed in from the other room and was holding me gently. Stroking my sweaty hair out of my face. But of course, she couldn't offer any comfort, because she had no idea what was wrong. She had no idea that a part of me had just died, would never come back.

I could feel that she was shaking.. or was that me? Or was it the both of us?

She felt my forehead, and then my cheeks.

''You're running a fever,'' she muttered and got up. Rummaging in her draw, she finally produced something smelling like herbs, added some water and made me sip. I did so mechanically, my mind still reeling from what I had just witnessed. Those colours again, the feeling of the warm blood on my hands, the pain as the spear was pushed through me. Was pushed through _him_.

Because he was dead.

I couldn't believe it. My mind didn't seem to be able to grasp the enormity of what had happened. He's dead, I told myself numbly, miserably. He's dead, he's dead, he's dead. As if by repeating it, I would finally believe it.

Twelve-years-old.

Death didn't care. Death was impatient.

''It's all right, kid,'' Tsunade was saying, ''It was only a bad dream. Nothing more..''

I shook my head. It more, so much more than nothing.

''Lee's dead.'' And it was as if by saying it out loud, I had finally made it irrefutably, undeniably true.

I began to cry, not because I felt like it, indeed, I was feeling too numb, too empty, but because I thought I had to show my misery somehow. Show that one person at least was crying for him. Was crying because of his death. He was dead.

''Your friend? Toph, it was only a dream, a nightmare..''

I shook my head violently. I felt too nauseas to talk, but I had to explain.

''I saw it, Tsunade. I _saw_ it. Colours and everything,'' I whispered, ''The same happened when my mother died. I _saw _it..''

Death.

Because the only thing I could see, truly _see,_ was death.

**Oh, before I forget (again).. thanks to no.1 and Nightfire237 for reviewing :)**


	16. The Stone

CHAPTER 15: The Stone

The girl was still shaking, even in her sleep. Tsunade looked at her uneasily, then turned to the window, surveying the night sky over the city.

It couldn't be true. The kid just had a nightmare. That had been what she was afraid of, so her subconsciousness had turned it into reality.

She seemed so certain though. But then again, she was seven years old, which seven-year-old didn't seem certain about what they believed to be true?

_It's true._

Oh, are you talking to me today, she thought irritably, but secretly glad she wasn't alone with her uneasy thoughts.

_People like that used to be quite common, in the olden days._

People like what?

_People who can see death._

Death of their loved ones? Is that what you mean?

But the dragon spirit was silent, and she knew that was what he had meant.

She thought back to the day when Nawaki had returned home with their father, of the blood dripping down onto the ground as their father carried him, of his little boy's body lying broken in the grass, after their father finally put his son down.

How old had Toph's friend been? Twelve, Toph had said. Nawaki had been nine. What kind of world did they live in? Where not even children were safe.

Nawaki, who had stolen after their father, as he made his way to the front, to the war. What would have happened if her father had noticed him earlier, had sent him back, before the Fire Nation soldiers attacked?

Where would she be now, if Dan hadn't been sent to that particular regiment to fight, or if he hadn't looked up at the night sky, covered in stars, fool that he was, or if that sky hadn't been so beautiful to distract the fool for quite so long, if he had only looked behind him one second earlier, if they had brought him to her immediately, if she had been able to save him?

What would have happened if Toph and Lee hadn't chosen to rest under that tree, beside that path?Or hadn't stayed quite so long? What would have happened if they had run for it, the moment they saw the approaching Earth Kingdom soldiers? Or if Lee hadn't picked up that coin?

So many little chances, to be missed and taken, all leading into different futures. All of them impossible now, as the ones leading to death had been chosen.

Tsunade looked down at Toph again, and noticed that her blind eyes were open.

''Can't sleep, huh?''

Toph just shook her head.

''Well, might as well get up, then. Come on, we'll go for a walk.''

The full moon bathed the streets of the city in an uncanny, strangely beautiful light, as Tsunade lead the girl down the silent allies. It was about three in the morning, and there was a curfew. If they were seen, they would be arrested.

But the idea of a mere Dai Li agent catching her was laughable, Tsunade thought.

''At least I could cry this time,'' Toph said quietly, more to herself than Tsunade, ''I couldn't last time, you know. I tried, but I couldn't for Mom.''

''Don't be stupid, kid. Everyone grieves differently. I couldn't cry myself, when they told me my brother was dead. Not at first. I just couldn't wrap my mind around it..''

''You lost your brother?''

''Yes.'' But it was too painful. She couldn't bring herself to elaborate.

Tsunade led Toph to a smallish patch of grass, right in front of one of the inner walls of the city. During the daytime the children of the neighbourhood (sometimes including Toph) played there constantly, climbing up the trees, rolling and running and jumping happily.

Now, the complete absence of noise was almost unnatural.

Tsunade had noticed the big stone rock there on several other occasions. It was half-buried in the earth, the surface covered with grass.

''What're we doing here?'' Toph asked, but she sounded excited, as if she already knew the answer.

''That'd make a perfect memorial stone, don't you think?'' And Tsunade took the small knife she had pocketed and carved Lee's name into the grey stone. Under that and to Toph's dictation three words:

_Don't underestimate him_.


	17. Closure

CHAPTER 16: Closure

_I could feel him looking at me, could feel his joy, his happiness._

_''I'm glad we finally get to meet again,'' he said._

_''So am I.''_

_Then silence fell over us, a warm, comforting silence._

_''I found the fountain of death,'' I told him, because I wanted to tell him something. No matter what. I just wanted to talk to him, like in the old days._

_''I know you did,'' he said, ''It's magnificent, isn't it? And when you close your eyes and listen really hard, you can hear the tiny whispers of the ghosts who drank the water..''_

_''Is that really true?'' I asked sceptically, ''Now that your dead and all..''_

_''As if people knew everything when they're dead..''_

_''I thought they would.''_

_''Well, they don't. Wouldn't that be boring, if you knew everything?''_

_''Yeah, I suppose that's true..'' I paused, then: ''Lee?''_

_''What now?''_

_''What's it like? Being dead?''_

_''I'm not telling. You'll have to find out for yourself.''_

_''Do you feel cheated?''_

_''No. I just feel free.''_

_''That's not too bad then,'' I said, feeling slightly cheered._

_''Not bad at all.''_

_''I miss you, though. I miss you big.''_

_''Me too. But it's not like it's forever.''_

_''Goodbye, Lee.''_

_''See you later, Toph-like-tough!''_

_''Not if I see you first, Earth King!''_

_''Well, we both know that won't happen..'' he said._

_Then we both laughed.._

… and when I woke up, I was still laughing softly. I had probably just made that dream up, but I didn't care. I felt at peace again.


	18. Breakdown

CHAPTER 17: Breakdown

''Will you answer the door please?''

''I always answer the door.. you do it for a change..''

''I'm in the middle of something here..''

''You're always in the middle of something there.''

She didn't answer, so I tried a different tactic.

''Well, I'm sleeping!''

''Funny. Sounds to me like you're wide awake..''

''I am _now_.''

The person outside rapped on the door a second time.

''You're the assistant- so, go on, _assist_!''

Reluctantly I got out of the warm blankets of my bed and headed to the door. Tsunade was writing something in the room which was connected to the outside door. As I passed I could feel her smirk.

''What're you doing in bed, anyway? It isn't that late.''

''I am only seven, you know'', I said as I unlocked the door, ''I have to get a little sleep _occasionally_..''

I opened the door and let the young man inside, he was panting heavily.

''And what's that supposed to-'' she stopped there, noticing I had fulfilled my duties as assistant. ''Er, and what can I do for you?''

A few minutes later all three of us were in the carriage the man had come in, speeding to the upper ring.

''When did the contractions start?''

''About late last night..I'm not sure..but she's in unbearable pain..''

''Why didn't you come to me sooner? ''

''I suggested it right away..I've heard of you..my sister could give birth because of you a couple of weeks back...but my master wouldn't have it..once he heard you were from the ... uh, lower ring..he only just gave me permission to get you..''

''Well, that's nice of him,'' Tsunade said, then leaning to me, ''That's Ba Sing Se for you.. get used to it while you can, kid.. Oh!'' she gasped as if she had forgotten something, ''Dammit! I left the herbs at the apartment!''

''You might have done,'' I told her, retrieving a little silk sack from the bag I was carrying, ''But I didn't. I _can_ cope, you know..''

''I never said you couldn't'', she said, flicking her finger on my forehead.

When we finally arrived you could see that the 'master of the house' disapproved of us. He merely grunted when Tsunade asked him where the woman was, and jerked his head to the nearest door. When Tsunade opened it I could hear faint moans coming out of the room. Before she could enter the man, whose eyes (I think-no, _know_) had been on me the whole time finally spoke: ''What did you bring your kid for? I was told you were a professional.. or claim to be, anyway..''

Tsunade answered coldly that I was her assistant. I added, for it was best to be precise, ''invaluable assistant.''

''Right, Toph, you know what to do?'' she asked in a more business-like tone. I nodded and retrieved the pouch with the herbs again.

''I'll be needing some water..'' I said to the man of the house, who, ignoring me, pushed passed Tsunade and entered his wife's room.

''What are you waiting for? Go on- heal her!''

I turned to the servant with my eyebrows raised ''I really do need some water, you know..''

''Get her anything she needs,'' Tsunade told him, entering the room, ''She knows what she's doing.'' and she closed the door.

Five minutes later I opened it carrying the brew I had made from the herbs and water. I had helped Tsunade at several births by now and the potion had been a great help. It made the women relax more, soothe their nerves, but it also made them stronger, more resistant. Tsunade had showed me how to make it, during the first week we were here.

''Great,'' she said, ''Make her drink all of it.''

She had her hands on the woman's enlarged stomach, something warm, but cool at the same time was coming from them.

I put the bowl to the lips of the woman and slowly tipped it, waiting each time until she swallowed the first load, before adding another, in case she choked. She was barely conscious, I could feel her sweating. After I had finished I looked up at Tsunade, who wiped sweat of her brow and grinned.

''Great job. You go to another room and try and get some sleep..'

''I'm not-''

''You're only seven years old, someone reminded me earlier.. go on, try and rest a bit, ok?''

It took a long time before Tsunade was finished. She threw the husband out of the room, and he was just pacing the living room the whole time. I told him not to worry, that Tsunade had helped at thousands of births, which had always been successful. He ignored me and although I felt sorry for him I couldn't help but feeling a little peeved too...

I fell asleep an hour later, I don't know for how long I was out, but the sound of the door sliding open made me sit up at once. The moment Tsunade entered I knew there was something wrong. She lent against the wall, without saying anything.

''What happened?'' the husband shouted at her, ''What have you done?'' and he ran towards the sick room.

''I'm so sorry.'' It was a voice I did not know, tiny, quiet.

The husband shut the door behind him. I stood up and went to Tsunade, who slid to the floor. I noticed that she was shaking. That scared me more than anything else. I crouched down beside her.

''The baby.. it didn't survive..''

I didn't say anything and both of us just sat there, listening to the sobs from the other room. After a while I said: ''But.. you know that it wasn't your fault, right? I mean if you couldn't help..'

She nodded, but didn't speak. I lent forward and hugged her and she squeezed me too and I could feel the tear marks on her cheek.


	19. City of Walls and Rules

CHAPTER 18: City of Walls and Rules

After a while a servant asked them to leave and they stood up.

The cool night air felt comforting and Tsunade took a deep breath.

''You feeling better?''

''Yeah..thanks, Toph. It..it's just the first time I lost a baby.. and then all that blood..''

Her father holding the broken body of her dead brother, drenched in blood. Dripping onto the ground to form a dark red puddle. Drip. Drip. Drip.

''But, there would have been blood anyway, wouldn't there?' Toph asked horrified, clearly imagining some bloody abomination.

''Was it deformed?''

''No. It just wasn't breathing. But I have a problem with blood.. I can't see any blood.. it's ok if it's natural, like when the baby is born.. but.. he was dead.. and covered in blood.. I just couldn't see it..''

Bending over the man she had loved, the palms of her hands glowing. Desperate. Still breathing. Still breathing. A soldier dragging her away from the body. He's gone, Tsunade! He's gone! Looking down at her hands, soaked in scarlet. Scarlet. The same as Nawaki. Abhorrent. Disgusting. Unbearable.

''How come you can't see any blood?''

''Shhh! Quiet!''

''What?''

''I thought I heard something.. We're not supposed to be out now. There's a curfew..''

''I never knew that.. And don't change the subject-''

''Can you feel someone nearby?'' Tsunade interrupted. She felt so sure she had heard someone.

''Uh..'' Toph said, concentrating. But before she had time to reply something caught Tsunade from behind and she fell. She heard Toph hit the ground beside her. Her hands were tied behind her back with something. She twisted her wrists. It was earth! They were earthbenders!

The Dai Li agents. This was the last thing Tsunade needed.

''Why are you arresting us?'' she asked angrily, struggling to get to her feet.

The agents didn't answer but tugged both of them up roughly. A small carriage drawn by an ostrich-horse appeared and both of them were pushed inside. It was made of wood and had a window with bars. The Dai Li agents didn't follow. As they started moving, Tsunade groaned. They would probably spend the rest of the night in some cell, trying to explain why they had been roaming the streets. Damn them! _Damn_ them!

''That's Ba Sing Se for you.. a bunch of walls and rules..'' she whispered to the kid grimly.

''Are we in trouble?''

''No, of course not. We didn't do anything wrong.. well, nothing that they marked as illegal, anyway..'' she added uneasily, thinking of the dead baby again.

After about 15 minutes they were dragged out and ushered into a huge building, still in the upper ring. The coachman was talking to another Dai Li agent. Tsunade couldn't hear what they were saying, just individual words like: ''curfew'' ''d'you think'' ''Loigai?'' ''here first''

She cursed them inwardly, them, and the upper-ring family, and their baby, and the servant who had brought them. If she had only ignored that knock on the door!

They were taken along a corridor. Suddenly the Dai Li agent walking Toph came to a halt and tugged her back so she had to stop too.

''What are you doing?'' Tsunade shouted. She was between two men and they were still walking.

''You're not gonna interrogate the kid, are you?''

They gave no answer. Damn them! Damn them all to hell and may they rot there! A seven-year-old kid!

Toph's Dai Li agent opened the door before which they were standing and shoved her inside.

''Toph!'' Tsunade called out desperately, ''Just tell them what happened! We didn't do anything wrong! It'll be ok!''

Then the door was slammed shut and Toph was out of sight.

Tsunade was ushered into a dark room, bare, but for a single chair, and strange looking tiny tracks going around the room, like the tracks of a toy train set. What was this?

Tsunade was pushed into the chair, her head fastened by small rocks. Suddenly a light appeared, whizzing round the room. It was fastened to the tracks. Her eyes followed it involuntarily. A man's voice echoed in the room.

''You are the Earth King's willing servant. You will not betray him. You will uphold the laws of this great city.'' Repeated again and again.

She was in a trance, mumbling the words herself now.

But then the dragon appeared, the White Dragon only she could see.


	20. Questions

CHAPTER 19: Questions

For the next hour I enjoyed the undivided attention of the man who had brought me in, who seemed to steadily become more impatient the longer our interview lasted.

He asked why I had broken curfew. I told him. He asked why I had been in the upper ring. I pointed out that I had already answered that question when I told him about why I had broken curfew and asked why he wasn't listening. He ignored me and I excused him by telling him that he was probably tired. He asked why we hadn't stayed at the house of the pregnant woman until morning. I told him to guess why. He asked if we had planned on stealing valuable items from the houses. I answered in the negative. He asked whether we had already stolen something and hidden it. I gave him a withering look and told him to please listen to me properly or we would be here all night. After that, it seemed to me that being here all night was his general goal. He asked all the questions again. Then again as if hoping my act would slip.

I took it in my stride though. I mean, I was tired and weary and still a little shocked from tonights events, but fear was one emotion that I was not experiencing. I was sure that they wouldn't hurt a small blind girl. I wasn't worried about Tsunade either, because we really had done nothing wrong, and anyway, Tsunade had fought in the war, she could deal with a few Dai Li agents.

I was even quite enjoying the effect my comments were having on my interrogator, who was steadily becoming less composed by the minute.

''A simple 'yes' or 'no' will suffice, girl,'' he said through gritted teeth, after I had asked him if he had been dropped on the head as a baby.

''Well, I can't see what other reason you have for asking me the same questions over and over-''

Another agent entered and they conversed in whispers. I could only make out some of the words: ''stubborn'' ''believe?''' ''can't' use'' ''blind'' ''woman?'' ''confirms''

But after hearing the words ''woman'' and ''confirms'' my heart lightened. The next words, presumably, would be ''her story''.

I was right and they let me leave without a word. I waited in front of the building for Tsunade to come. But she didn't. After about half an hour of waiting I entered the building again, only to be escorted out by a Dai Li guard. I asked him about Tsunade.

''She'll be out soon,'' was all he said.

So I sat down on a bench which was in front of the building and waited.

When I could feel the sun coming out I started to worry. And when my stomach told me it was around lunchtime I grew even more anxious.

Fine, they hadn't done anything to me, because I was only seven. But who knew what kind of torture they would subject the adults too. Horrible visions of people stripped to chairs floated through my head, like they used to do with enemy spies during the Battle of the Dusk City. Lee had told me all about it, because the gruesome, scary tales had been my favourites, and we had played at it, too. Taking turns in being the captured spy and the torturer..

And what if they wouldn't let her leave at all? Maybe breaking curfew was such a serious offence here, that it was punished with life-long imprisonment, or _death_! Suddenly the interior of the Dai Li headquarters seemed much more eery, I could almost hear the shrieks of pain from within. Maybe-

But I stopped there, because, finally I could feel her familiar step on the ground and rushed forward.

''Hello, Toph,'' she said in an oddly disconnected voice as I came to a halt in front of her.

''Are you alright?''

''I'm fine, thank you Toph. Let us go home.''

I followed her without a word, frowning slightly. What had they done with her?

As soon as we'd rounded a corner, which blocked us from the sight of the Dai Li building, she began laughing and lifting me up, hugged me tightly.

''What's up with you?'' I asked her, surprised, but immensely relieved.

''They tried to.. I dunno- is brainwash the right word? I played along to get out.. What about you? What happened at your end?''

I shrugged. ''They just asked me questions over and over until someone came and said that our story checked out and I was free to go.. but that was ages ago. I've been waiting for you ever since...''

''Let's get outta here, before we get arrested for something else.. we're on the black list now..'' Tsunade said, lengthening her stride and grabbing my arm, so I wouldn't fall behind.

As she steered me across the cobbled streets I distinctly heard her mutter:

''That's Ba Sing Se for you...''

**I thought I'd put in that story because in the tv series Toph seems to loath Ba Sing Se. So I thought an encounter with a couple of Dai Li agents could explain it.**

**In the next chapters Orochimaru and his followers will finally appear...**

**Ah, and thanks to evilmastermindno1 for reviewing! **


	21. An Old Friend

CHAPTER 20: An Old Friend

''Toph, keep up!''

''But the Fountain of Death's that way!''

''We aren't going to your death fountain, come on!''

And Tsunade tugged at Toph's sleeve to stop her lagging behind. It was a cold, windy night and they had met nearly no pedestrians on their way home. They had been in a gambling den, and because of Toph's cheating, had won quite a lot of money.

But this time was different. This time, Tsunade hadn't squandered their winnings at chance games. No, as a matter of fact, she had won every bet she had placed today. Every single one.

Toph had been jubilant, and wanted to stay much longer, as it was obvious that Tsunade was on a roll.

''I knew it,'' she had said, ''Nobody can have that much bad luck! You're finally getting the better end of the deal!''

But somehow, it just didn't feel right. Tsunade had collected her winnings and Toph, and left the gambling den as fast as she could. No, it didn't feel right. But why? What did it mean?

''But I've never been to the Fountain of Death at night!'' Toph persisted, dragging her feet and looking back hopefully. ''I bet if there is a time where you can hear the ghosts, it's at night! Come one, what's the harm? Curfew doesn't start for a few hours yet!''

Tsunade uttered a groan of impatience and grabbed Toph's arm again.

''For the last time, forget your damn fountain! Come on, now!''

There was an edge of panic in her voice now, although she couldn't even guess why. But she would just have to trust her instincts on that one. Or the White Dragon's instincts..

''What're you so worked up about, anyway?'' Toph grumbled, but at least she kept pace now, ''I would've thought you'd be glad to win, once in a while..''

''Not like this, kid,'' Tsunade was feeling better now. Another five minutes and they would be home. Had she overreacted? But she tried to explain her tension to Toph, anyway.

''I won ever single chance game. It's unheard of. So much good luck.. That means, that the bad luck will soon catch up.. and that's a lot of bad luck, kid..''

''Aw, really? You really believe in fate and stuff?'' Toph asked sceptically, ''And anyway, what about all those times you had bad luck then? What about that?''

''Look, I can't-'' Tsunade stopped in her tracks, clutching Toph's arm so tightly, that the girl gasped in pain. But she didn't complain, so she must have noticed him too.

Someone was standing at the side of an alley. Waiting. His face was hidden in the shadows, but the moment her saw that they had come to a halt, he stepped out.

Tsunade gasped when she saw who it was, and pulled Toph behind her, her heart pounding painfully against her chest. How had he gotten in?

He was masked, a white mask with slits for the eyes and the symbol of a crescent moon upon it, the same moon, in fact, that was over their heads right now. His long black hair was bound together behind his head, and his dark robes seemed to blend in with the night, making his vivid white mask seem as if it were floating in mid-air.

''Tsunade,'' he spoke, in a soft whisper, that none the less carried to their ears. His voice was that of a boy's and not of a man's.

Tsunade gripped Toph's hand tightly, cursing herself for putting the girl at risk.

It was Haiko. _His_ follower. The Great Snake's right hand man. But, he didn't sound like a man..

''I finally found you.''

''What brings you here, Haiko,'' Tsunade asked, and was relieved to find that her fear didn't show in her voice, ''So far from your beloved master? I thought he couldn't coupe on his own, not now, anyway.. Is it true that he even needs your help, if he has to go to the bathroom? The _Great Snake_!'' she scoffed, while all her instincts were screaming at her to run.

''Why, don't tell me you don't know?'' Haiko asked in that soft, uncanny voice of his, not at all disconcerted. ''That is the exact reason for our reunion..''

Of course she had known. But she needed to stall him. She could feel the White Dragon building up his energy inside her. Only a little longer..

''You don't actually think I would heal him, after what he did, do you? You're becoming quite optimistic in your age, Haiko.''

He laughed then, a small, tinkly, eery laugh, and Tsunade could feel Toph squirm uneasily beside her. She squeezed the kid's hand, to reassure her that she had everything under control. Or so she hoped.. But Haiko's merriment was unnerving.

''Age,'' he said, ''Is one thing that does not effect me at all.''

And he removed his mask.


	22. The Dead Boy

CHAPTER 21: The Dead Boy

Haiko had lived in the same small town she had. The same small town Orochimaru had. He had been older than her by about four years, so she hadn't really known him all that well.

But then, there had been the accident. Haiko had fallen from a tree and broken his neck. The town had been distraught. This was before the Fire Nation had attacked her home, before her brother had died, before the man she had loved had been killed. She had been ten years old, and the death of a fourteen-year-old boy had seemed to be the greatest tragedy that would ever occur in her life.

They had buried Haiko, and she had put flowers on the grave, and regretted not having known him better. Then, one day, she had come to the grave, only to find it dug up and empty.

The people had assumed it had been grave robbers, and after the first shock and outrage at the discovery, had moved on with their lives. After all, what could they do?

But Tsunade remembered that there had been something wrong with Orochimaru. He had seemed barely able to contain his glee. He had even laughed softly, as she recounted what she had seen.

Then, only a week after Haiko's grave had been found empty, Orochimaru had vanished. Never to return again.

She had never been too sure, of whether the Fire Nation attack a few days later had simply been a coincidence, or whether he had had something to do with him.

But she had listened to plenty of rumours after that. Rumours of Orochimaru's disgusting deeds, of course, but of someone else, too. Orochimaru's most loyal servant, was said to be a masked boy, by the name of Haiko.

First she had simply found it a strange coincidence, that the Great Snake's servant shared the name of the dead boy of their old town. Then, she had thought that this servant might have just been given the name 'Haiko' for sentimental reasons, as the boy's death seemed to have had a great impact on Orochimaru's life. But that hadn't been right. Because it had been the _empty grave_ that had excited him so, made him leave, even, and not the actual death.

Tsunade had thought about it, considered it, even. But it had just seemed to damn absurd. But now..

As Haiko removed his mask, Tsunade couldn't help but gasp in fear and wonder.

The big dark-blue eyes met her brown ones unflinchingly. The eyes she had know as a child. Haiko's eyes. His face was smooth and unlined. His lashes long, his lips full and almost feminine. The only difference in his appearance was the colour of his face, which was far paler than before, in the light of the crescent moon it seemed almost as white as his mask.

But other than that, he had not changed at all. He was the same fourteen-year-old boy, she had known over twenty-five years ago. The same fourteen-year-old boy, she knew to be dead, with a broken neck, at that.

He hadn't aged a day.


	23. Flight

CHAPTER 22: Flight

''Come with me, Tsunade,'' Haiko whispered, putting his mask back on, ''Come with me and no one shall get hurt.''

But she didn't answer. The White Dragon had gathered enough energy, energy she could use.

She pushed Toph back slightly, and then cupped her hands together and placed them to her mouth. The White Dragon was a healer, first and foremost, but that wasn't all he was. He was a spirit, too. He could fight.

Haiko must have guessed her intension, for he started running now, running straight towards them, senbon suddenly appearing between his fingers.

Too late, Tsunade thought, smiling slightly, as she blew through her cupped hands. She could feel a radiant warmth, an overwhelming strength pass through her hands, and suddenly, out of no where, petals appeared, pinkish flower petals, floating gently through the air, towards Haiko, who had now fallen still.

That would buy them a little time, at least.

Tsunade grabbed Toph's hand, and ran. Ran away from the immobile Haiko, the dead boy. She glanced back over her shoulder, half the peddles were already on the ground.. as soon as the rest of them yielded to gravity, the dead boy would be able to move again.. there was so little time..

Quickly now. Down the street. Turn right, a side ally, narrow and almost pitch black. Left. He _had_ to be on their trail now. Over a wooden fence, through a patch of green. Another street. Had they lost him?

Tsunade came to a halt, straining her ears for any sound. Toph sank to her knees, panting. Nothing. Was it over? She didn't dare to hope, but-

Toph yelled: ''He's coming! Up there!''

And Tsunade whipped round, as the girl scrambled to her feet. A dark figure, running towards them on the roofs of the houses, making almost no sound at all. Before she could turn around again, something flashed in the darkness, and whooshed towards them. Tsunade flung herself aside, pushing Toph out of the way as she did so, and the long needles clattered against the cobbled street. Needles dipped in poison. His trademark.

''Come on!'' Tsunade shouted at the girl, gripping her arm again, ready to move, another swish, and this time she was too slow to react and the girl cried out in pain and there was a small thud as her body hit the ground.

No! All thought of Haiko forgotten, Tsunade turned to Toph. Two needles were embedded in the back of her neck. Tsunade tugged them out gently. That wasn't too bad, she would live..

''Stop acting so childish,'' a thin voice said from right behind her, making her jerk up and turn round to face him, shaking with suppressed rage.

''You brought this on yourself, Haiko!'' she shouted, and began to form hand signs. She had been reluctant to use _the dragon's fang_, the full extent of the White Dragon's power, because her chi took almost a full day to recover, and she would hardly be able to move the entire time.

She had one shot. One chance to get both of them out alive. She had no doubt that Haiko would kill the girl. No witnesses. That was how he worked. Just like his master.

Her palms began to glow. But this time it wasn't from a benign power. She wasn't going to heal, this time, but hurt. There was a small, barely detectable metallic scent issuing from her glowing palms, which seemed slightly whiter, than her usual blue-green. Now, they were deadly weapons.

It was time. Haiko knew what she was about to do, and just laughed softly as she rushed towards him.

She was in front of him, she raised her arm, ready to strike.

Haiko moved more quickly than she had thought was possible. One of his senbon caught the pale light of the moon as it slashed down.

Pitiful, she had thought, but that was before the blood had hit her full in the face. Blood.

She let her arm drop weakly to her side. Blood. The palms stopped glowing. Blood.

The dead boy had used the senbon not against her, but to cut his lower arm, making his blood spurt into her face. So red. The dead boy's blood.

Nawaki, being laid gently onto the earthy ground, which was crimson now, laid down in a puddle of his own blood. The enormous wounds in his chest and stomach, the gaping holes, that seemed to contain nothing but blood, flowing onto the ground, seeping through her cloths as she bent to embrace her dead brother.

Dan, on the ground of the medical tent, his face barley recognizable, coughing up blood, as he struggled to take rasping breaths, breaths that became fainter and fainter, until they stopped all together. Her, kneeling over the man she had loved, her glowing palms on his chest, red now, from his blood, trying desperately to bring him back to the world of the living.

She had told herself, that she could handle her blood phobia. That she thought she could control herself, when she saw it on the living. But Haiko was not living. He was dead. Just like Nawaki. Just like Dan.

She was trembling violently now. Pull yourself together! Pull yourself together! Nawaki. Dan.

The dead boy took out a senbon and stabbed her with it in the arm, and everything went black, as she fell to the ground.


	24. Waiting

CHAPTER 23: Waiting

Loud voices. Screaming. Shouting. Laughing.

_Laughing_?

Where was I?

I hoisted myself up into a sitting position, groaning at the pain that shot through my stiff limbs as I did so. My head was throbbing uncomfortably, my whole body felt sore.

I was lying on something soft. A bed? The voices around me were becoming more clear now. Children's voices. Happy, excited. _Normal_.

I was in a large room, sitting on one of the many beds, children were running and laughing and shouting all around me.

What had happened? My head hurt as I tried to remember. Oh, it was so difficult.. Tsunade.. where was she now? Was she here? But I couldn't feel her familiar step anywhere..

We had been on our way home. She had won at every game she played. I had wanted to stay longer, to win more.. But she had acted weird. She had wanted to leave. And then what?

A boy? Yes, a boy.. And she had addressed him as if she knew who he was. We had run. Why had we run? He was a boy.. What had he wanted? Urgh! I couldn't think straight! Why was it so difficult to remember?

''She's awake!'' a shrill young voice cut into my meditations. ''She's awake! Keira! Keira, the girl woke up! She woke up!''

A small boy, younger than I was, was dancing in front of me excitedly. ''Keira! Keira!''

Then a woman came rushing into the room, quite large, and with a friendly voice.

''Oh, you're awake! We were getting worried..''

''I saw it, Keira,'' the little boy said proudly, tugging at the woman's sleeve, ''I was the only one who saw her wake up!''

Ignoring the boy, the woman called Keira lent closer to me. ''How do you feel?''

''Where am I?''

''You're in of-nidge! You're in _our_ of-nidge!'' the little boy cried happily.

''In an _orphanage_?'' I asked, alarmed. What had happened? Where _was_ Tsunade?

''I found you myself,'' the woman called Keira told me, ''You were sleeping in an alley not too far from here.. Well, at least I thought you were sleeping.. but you didn't seem to wake up.. you probably caught some illness..''

She felt my forehead. ''You had quite a fever too.. but that seems to have passed now.''

My heart clenched.

''Where's Tsunade?''

Keira seemed startled. ''I didn't see anyone else. I thought you were alone?''

The apartment! She had to be there!

''I've got to go,'' I mumbled, getting to my feet and wincing slightly at the pain.

''Child, you've been ill. You were out, for one whole day, maybe more, you need to rest!''

But I shook her hand off and ran to the door, before she could stop me. The front door was open, and I ran through, trying not to slacken my pace. The warm sunlight hit me the moment I left the building. How late was it? How long had I been unconscious? Keira had said over a day, but that couldn't be right, could it?

I had no idea in which part of the lower ring I was, but managed to find my way to our apartment, mainly through asking every second person I passed for the way.

My head was throbbing painfully now, and I was feeling so dizzy, but I forced myself to keep on moving.

The neighbour's boys were out in the courtyard as usual, playing earth ball and I could hear Han shout over to me: ''Toph! We're one short! Do you want to play?''

Ignoring him, I ran through their playing field and pushed open the door of our building. I ran up the stairs, not pausing to take a breath until I reached the top. Then, I took out the key (I carried it around my neck on a piece of string) and shoved it into the lock.

I knew before I had opened the door, that she wasn't there, but I called her name anyway.

That didn't say anything, though.. She could be in the city, looking for me. She'd come back in the evening. So I sat down on a cushion by the door and waited.

But by night-fall, she still hadn't come. Nor was she there when I woke in the morning, after an uneasy sleep.

I was afraid to leave the apartment, in case she returned when I wasn't there, so I ate only what I could find in the house, which wasn't much, but I wasn't that hungry, anyway.

In the early afternoon I could hear someone walking up the last flights of stairs, which only meant, that they were coming to this apartment. But I didn't even have time to feel hopeful, before I felt who it was. It was our landlord, asking me where Tsunade was, and telling me that we had exactly two days to pay the rent, or we were out.

Two other people made their way to the top of the building after him, one an old man, who wanted the healer to cure him of his arthritis, the other a teenaged girl, who had an ingrowing toenail.

No one else came.


	25. The Great Snake

CHAPTER 24: The Great Snake

Tsunade opened her eyes groggily. She was lying on the ground, her hands chained behind her back. She twisted them experimentally. Yes, they seemed secure enough.. She hoisted herself upright, her back leaning against the wall for support, and was surprised to find that she _could_ even move. A few days must have passed at the least, since she had used _the dragon's fang_.

It took her eyes a minute or so to adjust to the darkness, but when they had, she could see that she was in quite a small room, made of stone and with no windows, the only possible light source coming from the tiniest of cracks between the locked door and the ground. And yet, the light on the other side was so dim, that she could barely see a thing.

_Do you remember what happened? _the White Dragon spoke in the back of her head.

Yes, she thought back, feeling nauseas as she saw Toph's small body hitting the ground in her mind's eye.

The kid? she thought desperately, What happened to Toph?

_I don't know. I lost my consciousness with yours._

How long have we been out?

_It takes at least two days for your body to function again, after using the dragon's fang... nice name, by the way._

Tsunade snorted.

Do my ears deceive me, or are you developing a sense of humour in your old age?

_Might as well go out of this life with a smile on your face._

You think this is it, then?

_Beyond a doubt. But don't let that get you down, we spirits tend to take the pessimistic view on things, as a rule.._

Why, I'm learning more things about you in these few minutes, than I have in the last twenty-five years combined.. But at the moment, I'm inclined to see your pessimistic view as a realistic one..

_Death is but the next great adventure.._

So they say.. Do you think Haiko killed the kid?

_I think it is more than likely, yes. _

Suddenly there was the sound footsteps, echoing down what seemed to be a long corridor, becoming steadily louder, as they drew closer. Then a key being forced into the lock of her door. Tsunade moistened her lips, hoping her fear wasn't too obvious.

Finally the door swung open to reveal two dark figures, silhouetted against the dim light of the corridor. The smaller one was Haiko, now devoid of his mask, his un-aged face looking like that of a ghost.

But Tsunade's eyes were drawn to the other, taller man. His sleek, black hair falling to his waist, his white, thin face with the contorted smile, his eyes. His _eyes_.

She had known Orochimaru as a child. This child had had the same black hair, its face may have been a little more colourful, a little more natural-looking, but the cold eyes she was looking at now seemed to belong to a completely different person. His eyes weren't the dark brown ones of the boy she remembered anymore, but an eery greenish-yellow. His pupils weren't even human anymore, but black slits, like that of a snake.

She had heard the rumours, of course, but had dismissed them as urban legends. But now..

It was well-known that the Great Snake had experimented on humans, in the vain attempt of finding immortality. But she had never guessed that he had succeeded. What were those snake-like eyes? Had his experiments gone wrong? Or was he truly immortal now?

''It's been a long time, Tsunade..'' he rasped, and she noticed that he was breathing unevenly, as if in great pain, which, she thought with satisfaction, he probably was.

The Great Snake had been notorious. ''Don't stay out for too long, or the Great Snake will get you'' was still a common figure of speech in some areas of the Earth Kingdom that had been most affected by him. Where he had been, people had disappeared, nearly all of them never to be seen again. Those few who had managed to escape told hideous tales of torture, experiments on humans, his everlasting search for immortality. And so the rumours had grown. And so had the fear.

Orochimaru had become one of the most wanted criminals of the Earth Kingdom, with a bounty as big as some high-ranking Fire Nation officials on his head. But not just the Earth Kingdom wanted to put an end to the Great Snake. The Fire Nation was just as eager to stop his activities, as Orochimaru didn't distinguish between the countries of his victims.

And then, a little over two years ago, a battalion of Fire Nation soldiers had stumbled upon him by pure chance and, after a hefty fight, had managed to finally kill him.

That had been the popular belief anyway, although his body had never been found, and one simply assumed that it had been swept down the river, which had been on the scene of the battle.

But Tsunade had known better. A friend of hers, Jiraya, who had made it his task to track Orochimaru down, had sent her a warning to go into hiding. Orochimaru was extremely wounded, both his arms utterly useless, but he was still alive. Chances were high that he would soon seek out a healer.

She had heeded his advice, hiding out in Full Moon Bay, where Jiraya's correspondence had informed her how the few Water Tribe healers Orochimaru had taken had been found dead, not able to heal his wounds. After she had heard that, she had become convinced that at least some of his experiments must have been part-way successful, for without them, he would have surely already succumbed to his injuries. The water healers would not have failed otherwise.

She had known that he was fully aware of her power due to the White Dragon, how, she wasn't sure, but it only made her more determined that he should not find her.

And now, he had.


	26. The Impossible Choice

CHAPTER 25: The Impossible Choice

''I think you have already guessed my reason for summoning you,'' Orochimaru drawled. Both his arms were covered in dirty, bloodstained bandages and hung limply to his sides.

Tsunade snorted slightly at the word _summon_. She was inwardly relieved that the brown red stains on his bandages didn't effect her like the blood of the dead boy.

''Then I think you have already guessed what my answer will be,'' she whispered, ''But I'll tell you anyway-''

But Haiko cut in. ''Don't think you won't be rewarded. We have an offer for you-''

''Don't even try, grave-boy!'' she snapped, ''If I wasn't so weak at the moment, I'd-''

''Why, Tsunade,'' Orochimaru whispered, ''you should never dismiss an offer, without knowing exactly what you are refusing..''

She tried to speak, but what Orochimaru said next took her breath away.

''I am offering to bring back your brother and the man you once loved. You understand what I am saying, don't you? I can bring them back from the realm of the dead..''

She looked up into his cold, inhuman eyes. ''You can't,'' she said, her voice dull, ''No one can.''

But even as she said it, she knew that it wasn't true. She knew that he had that power. Haiko was proof of that, if nothing else.

''You know that isn't true, Tsunade..'' Orochimaru grinned, licking his thin lips with an unnaturally long tongue. ''You _do_ remember young Haiko over there, don't you?''

She said nothing. Her mind was whirling. Could this be true? Could she see them again? Hold them again?

''Heal my arms, and you shall see your loved ones once more.''

She couldn't speak. A painful knot was twisting and growing in the back of her throat. It was all she could do not to agree at once.

Haiko lent to his master and whispered something into his ear.

''Oh, yes,'' Orochimaru added, ''If that brat you picked up in Ba Sing Se means anything to you, I can also bring her back..''

She gasped. No, it wasn't true! The bastard Haiko had killed her, had murdered a little girl! She had still hoped that Toph had somehow been spared.. But it didn't matter now. All the more reason to accept Orochimaru's proposal at once-

_No._

This has nothing to do with you, she thought bitterly.

_Think, please, THINK. Don't act impulsively. _

She knew he was right, although it was so hard. To wait even another minute seemed too long.

''I'll give you one day to think about it. By then you should have recovered sufficiently enough to heal me..'' Orochimaru said dismissively. It was clear that he harboured no doubt as to what her answer would be.

Both he and Haiko stepped out of the doorway, swinging the heavy door shut behind them and Tsunade could hear a key turn in the lock with a click.

She wanted to shout after them, tell them she had already made her choice, tell them she was already strong enough to heal his arms. What were arms, anyway? Compared to the lives of three people? The three people she loved most in this world.

_You know what he'll do, once you heal his arms. You know the consequences._

I don't care.

_What are three lives, if you are dooming hundreds to their deaths._

Three lives that mean more to me than those hundreds of unknown people, more than thousands even. He might even cease with his human experiments, he might have already found out all that he will ever know.

_Don't delude yourself. He will go on and on, humans are never satisfied, they always want more. Don't pretend you don't know exactly what you will set in motion. People will vanish again, die horrible, prolonged deaths. And that will be on you._

The whole country's at war. People die every day. Human life is cheap. If they don't end up captured by Orochimaru, they would die in the war. Anyway, the war claims thousands of lives-_millions_ of lives. Orochimaru only takes a few here and there.

_Don't pretend you don't care. I know you do. You can't lie to yourself!_

I _do_ care! But I care about Nawaki more! And about Dan! And Toph! And if you're part of me, you should know! You should _know_! I want to see them again! I want to see them so badly, it hurts! I want to touch them, to _hold_ them! Every part in my body aches for _them_!

_Do you think they would want to come back like this? Like solid ghosts? Brought back into a world they no longer belong in? _

They belong to _me_! They belong here!

_Brought back at the price of hundreds of lives? How would they be able to live with themselves?_

They wouldn't know. I'll be the only one who'll have to accept it. I'll be the only one who'll know what the price was. And it will be worth it!

_Accept their death. Accept your life. Once we have passed on, we shouldn't be brought back._

I wouldn't expect you to understand. You're a spirit. You have no human feelings. You don't know what it is to _love_. You don't know what it is to suffer.

Tsunade waited for his answer, but it didn't come. He was silent.

**Thanks to evilmastermindno1 and watervaper9 for reviewing :)**


	27. The Final Hand Sign

CHAPTER 26: The Final Hand Sign

_''Well? What is your answer?''_

_The door of my cell had been opened, and both Orochimaru and Haiko were standing there, looking down at me._

_I sighed, feeling nauseas about what I was about to do._

_''You keep to our bargain, and I'll heal your arms.''_

_Orochimaru's face was alight with eager anticipation, and his long tongue flicked across his lips once more._

_''It shall be done.''_

_Haiko bent down beside me and took a small key from his pocket. There was a click and the chains binding my arms fell to the ground with a dull thud. I was free to move again._

_I followed Haiko into the corridor, where Orochimaru was waiting._

_''Now,'' Orochimaru said, his voice quivering with impatience, ''Do it now.'' And he held out his bandaged arms in front of him._

_I took a deep breath and my palms started glowing. I held them together and advanced towards him, holding a blue-greenish orb in my hands. An orb with just the faintest hint of a metallic smell._

_But before I could get close enough to touch his arms, senbon came flying out of nowhere. Both Orochimaru and I cried out in shock. Both of us sprang backwards to avoid the needles._

_The glowing orb vanished. _

_The dead boy was still standing in the doorway. He had donned his mask again._

_''So,'' Orochimaru whispered, cold hatred in his voice, ''You show your true colours.. How dare you betray me?''_

_The dead boy said nothing. I said nothing._

_''How dare you? Tsunade?!'' he screamed, spit flying from his mouth._

_I hadn't forgotten that I had tried to use the same deadly orb on Haiko in Ba Sing Se, I had only hoped he wouldn't sense the same metallic scent, the same negative energy.._

_But no matter. I had a back-up plan. A last resort. _

_Before either Orochimaru or Haiko could act, I had formed my hand signs. Wind came out of nowhere, and I felt as strong as I had never felt before._

_I was fully aware that this was the end. Not just for Orochimaru and Haiko, but for me too. I knew that my weak human body couldn't cope with such an enormous surge of energy, I knew that I was going to die._

_A final hand sign. A white-blueish dragon seemed to glide out of my body. I gritted my teeth. The pain was almost unbearable. But there was one more thing I had to do._

_And so, with my last strength, I managed to say the name. The name of the target. The name of the man, who could not survive this._

_''Orochimaru!''_

_The White Dragon flew at him without a moment's hesitation. As he hit the Great Snake, there was an enormous explosion. I was ready to die. I would see them again._

_Just before I lost consciousness, I heard Orochimaru scream._

And there was another scream, but this was the scream of a terrified child, a child who has just had her whole world ripped apart, and I soon noticed that the child screaming was _me_, writhing on the futon in the apartment.

No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-NO!

Not again! Not _again_! How many more times?

How many more times?


	28. Spite

CHAPTER 27: Spite

Chen suppressed a yawn. He was just about sick of this. The sooner it was over the better... But then the thought of the money he had made, and was about to make, hit him again, and he grinned.

The Bei Fongs, the wealthiest family in the north of the Earth Kingdom had been trying for some years now to bear a child. Unsuccessful, of course.

Chen snorted. These rich women just didn't know how to do it..

But now they seemed to have convinced themselves that they couldn't possibly live without the pattering of little feet. Not too little, of course. No, they didn't want the demanding, loud and smelly infants.. no, it was to be a child of seven. A girl, no less. And this was what Chen could absolutely not understand. A boy, yes. A boy would inherit the estate, would carry on the name. But a girl?

He shrugged. No point in trying to understand the way these rich people's minds worked.

The Bei Fongs had corresponded with the Fu-Ten child home, an orphanage for the sons and daughters of gentle folk in Ba Sing Se, which administrated the inheritance of the children and gave them a proper education for it. The Bei Fongs had, as a result of their correspondence, adopted a little girl of seven, without even having lain eyes upon her. All they knew of this child they would soon be calling daughter, were vague physical facts, concerning the height, the weight, the hair and eye colour. Oh, and of course they had been assured that she was by no means a homely child. That was, of course an important criteria. To love this child, she had to look pretty.. Chen didn't really see any fault in that, though anyone would have thought that the prospective parents would travel to the city themselves, to collect this child they had chosen. But he supposed if he was as rich as they were, he wouldn't be doing the dirty work, either. It had been extremely tiresome, this long journey to the city, and all his nerves quivered in disgust at the thought that he had only covered half the distance, the return journey, moreover, would be spend in the company of a seven-year-old.

But then he had had a stroke of luck, that had put all other thoughts aside. On arriving at the Fu-Ten child home, he had been informed that the little girl, chosen for the adoption, had died of an illness not two days ago. His heart had leapt when they informed him that, as of yet, the Bei Fongs knew nothing of the death. He was asked to consider other children of the child home, but he had declined, warning them, on his way out, not to mention the girl's death to the Bei Fongs. Such an tragedy should not be conveyed in a letter, but in person, after all. And _he_ should be the bearer of this sorrowful news.

Chen had left Fu-Ten looking suitably bereaved and shocked on the outside, but he was actually crowing with triumph. The adoption of children at Fu-Ten, cost the prospective parents a considerable amount of money. The Bei Fongs had given Chen this money, and now, Chen would not have to pass it on. He would find a girl in one of the orphanages of the lower ring, that fit the description of this poor deceased child, and pretend that she was the one. As far as he knew, the Bei Fongs didn't even know the name of this child! It would be the simplest thing in the world.

As to any correspondence between the Bei Fongs and the Fu-Ten home inadvertently exposing him, he didn't think that would be a problem. He had made it quite clear that _he_ would tell the tragic news to the prospective parents, and the matter was far too delicate for the child home to want to risk infuriating or upsetting this rich couple. As for the Bei Fongs themselves, Chen had always prided himself on his ability to read people. And he was quite sure, that once the child had arrived, they would pretend to themselves and to the world, that she was their own. They had specifically asked whether the girl had known her parents, and seemed more than appropriately relieved when informed that both of them had died in a very tragic accident, when the girl had only been eight months old. They hadn't even bothered to hide their glee in front of him.

But, why should they? Chen had thought bitterly. They were from the upper class, he was not. He didn't count to them. Oh, how he hated those rich conceited bastards.. if it hadn't been for the money.. but he stopped there. It _was_ for the money. Solely for the money, as everything else in his life had been. And he didn't regret it.

But now, he would have to examine a seemingly endless parade of orphaned children, looking up at him hopefully. He scanned each small girl with black hair carefully. No, this one was too high.. this one too plump.. But he was feeling utterly content with his sly cunning. He would make those rich bastards pay, thinking they were better than him. He would get back at them, without them even knowing it, because they were going to get a lower class brat as their heir.

After he had seen all the children, and had written a few names onto a scrap of paper, the names of the girls who were most likely to pass as the poor little dead child at Fu-Ten (whom he really couldn't thank enough for dying) he followed the director of the orphanage to her little study. He didn't really care, which girl would soon be called Bei Fong, he just wanted to get it over with.

But then, he saw the child.

She was sitting on one bed in a large room which looked like a dorm. She was approximately the same age and height, the same weight, the same hair colour. She was staring into nothingness, with those strange milky eyes. Eyes that were blind. He nearly clapped his hands in delight.

A blind girl! Oh, it would be too good! To spring a blind girl on these snobs! That was what they deserved! What a joke! He could say anything! She had had an illness, had become blind as a result.. he already had the money that was supposed to go to Fu-Ten in his pocket. And they couldn't deny him his wages, after all, it would appear as though he had fulfilled his task!

There was the risk, that they would contact Fu-Ten and complain, or demand a replacement.. but meanwhile, he would get as much distance between himself (with his money) and them as he could. They would never find him, with so much money, he could change his name, live another life.. Oh, this was just too good a joke to waste!

It was foolish, could end up being risky for him, but he just couldn't resist..

''That girl's new,'' the director said, noticing what he was staring at. ''Poor little thing, I don't know what happened to her parents.. she won't talk about it..''

''I'll take her,'' Chen said quickly, before his good sense could talk him out of it.

He had difficulty in suppressing his laughter. The rich and mighty Bei Fongs.. they were about to get a shock of a life time! Rich bastards, how he hated the lot of them! The shock of a lifetime.. _he_ should know. For the first time in ages he thought of his daughter.. No, not _his_ daughter. _He_ could never have sired a blind girl. His wife had betrayed him, that was clear enough. But the bitter blow on the night the girl had been born still made him angry to this day. He had left, of course. Had never seen either his wife or the girl, who was not his, again. How old was she now? If she had survived infanthood, of course, which was not at all likely.. five? Six? Seven? No, surely not. It hadn't been that long. He smirked again at the thought of those rich bastards going through what a poor, lower class working man had gone through five years ago..

They won't be feeling so high and mighty then, will they?


	29. Awakening

CHAPTER 28: Awakening

She was lying on the ground of their former prison cell. But that was all that remained. The stoned cobbles. The walls hadn't been able to withstand the force of the explosion. Rubble surrounded the peaceful forest clearing. Yes, now it was peaceful.

Rubble and three human bodies. Two of which were lifeless. The third fast becoming so.

The spirit wondered vaguely why he was alive. Why he wasn't even wounded.

The last time he had been out there, in the physical world, he had been dying. Enemy spirits had ambushed him, had clawed and torn at him and he had only survived because of a young human girl.

Tsunade had let him into the physical world again, for that last act.

For that great act.

And both of them had been resigned to die. He, of his weakness in the physical world, his wounds; she of the pain of the immense power she was releasing from her body. And of the ensuing explosion, of course. But that had not hit her quite so hard as they had thought, not like the other two..

..the Great Snake didn't, it seemed, shed his skin like his namesake, after all.. it was red and blistered and barely recognizable, a singed long tongue hanging limply out of his open mouth.

The boy, who had now died twice was still wearing his mask, nearly black now, and severely cracked. But he was no longer breathing either. No longer bound to this world, no more a feeble ghost in a world of the living. He was where he belonged now.

Tsunade didn't show any sign of the explosion he had caused, which was probably due to the energy he had released while leaving her body. Although that energy was killing her now. Too much for a frail human body.. She was dying.

She was dying, and he would live. He would become a full and true spirit again. The twenty-five years in her body seemed to have cured him of any trace of his once so deadly wounds.

He would be able to soar through the air again.

Tsunade was dying.

He would be able to take credit for the people he healed.

Tsunade was dying.

People would rejoice, call it out into the night, The White Dragon lives!

And all the while, part of him was dying.

She had been his saviour at first, and nothing more. A human whose body kept his essence safe and unharmed and away from death, a death that he feared. For he was no human. For humans, death came with birth. Death was natural. Death could even be a relief. But few spirits ever died. It happened sometimes, not often, but occasionally. Very, very rarely, but enough to provoke a great fear in all of the otherworldly entities. For spirits, death was unnatural, uncanny, to be feared beyond all else. So he had felt grateful for this human, this _convenient_ human, but nothing more.

That had changed, though.

_Now_ she was him, and he was her. They were one. And he couldn't let her die.

And now he was a boy, a young boy of about twelve, his human body surrounded by a blueish glow, because he was something not human at all, and he walked towards the place where Tsunade was lying, and knelt down beside her. She was too far beyond the power of ordinary healing. But that didn't matter much. He preferred it that way, and a little smile flicked across his child-like lips, that didn't belong to a child at all.

She had once saved his life, by allowing him into her body. Now he would return the gesture. Now he would be saving hers.

The boy, who was not a boy put his small hand on the dying woman's forehead. The hand vanished. Followed by the rest of the spirit's human shape.

The moment the boy had disappeared, the woman opened her eyes with a start.

She hoisted herself upright, wincing slightly at the pain, although that pain that had seemed so much more unbearable only a few seconds ago, and looked around.

The forest clearing was silent and peaceful, the early morning sun just forcing its way through the leafy trees.

A voice in the back of her head spoke to her.

_You didn't think I'd let you go that easily, did you?_

Thank you, she thought, with tears in her eyes.

Thank you.


	30. New Life

CHAPTER 29: New Life

I shifted in my seat uneasily. It had been a full half hour since Chen had left me alone in the carriage, in front of the Bei Fong residence. I hadn't been very hopeful, but I had thought that they'd at least _look_ at me..

How long had it been since that dreadful morning, when I woke up screaming? Two weeks? It seemed so much more than that.. Being Tsunade's assistant was a lifetime away..

I had tried to feel proud and happy that Tsunade had ended the Great Snake's life, for I knew who he was, of course. It would have been impossible to be best friends with Lee and not be treated to the thousand and one legends concerning Orochimaru. Lee had had been convinced that the Great Snake was still alive, and now it turned out that he had been right all along.. Not anymore, though. Tsunade had seen to that. She was a hero. An unknown hero, but a hero non the less.

She was also dead.

The whole long journey to Gaoling I had been miserable, not really caring what would happen to me next. And then there was Chen. He had made me repeat again and again, that my orphanage was called Fu-Ten, for some strange reason, and that I had been there all my life. I had wanted to scream at him that I wouldn't lie about Lee, and Tsunade, that I had been with either of them all my life, and not in some stupid orphanage.

But I held my tongue, because this was the only chance I had. I didn't want to stay in Ba Sing Se on my own, that strange city of walls and rules, that seems like heaven one minute, and like a dystopia the next. I had loved the city at first, but the control of the Dai Li had soon become apparent even to me. Still, I wouldn't have minded, if Tsunade had still been there. But alone, it was a different matter entirely. No, I wouldn't stay in that strange place alone..

It was clear that Chen was in some way profiting from bringing me to these people, although I couldn't for the life of me see why he had picked _me_, a blind girl.. I was to tell them that I had become blind as a result of an illness, so there was no doubt that the Bei Fongs had been expecting a perfectly healthy child. Part of me was terrified that they would send me back to that city, something not at all unlikely, seeing as they were taking so long in deciding whether or not to even _see_ me.

But then I could feel Chen approaching, and my heart thudded hard against my chest. What he had to say, would determine the rest of my life.

I'm not sure why, but I felt strange towards Chen. A strong and unreasonable loathing, mingled with an even more unreasonable liking. But I barely knew him. He had said next to nothing to me the whole journey (except for explaining my new identity). It was strange, but at that moment I wasn't too bothered. Soon, he would be out of my life once more.

''Well?'' I asked, sure they had sent me back to Ba Sing Se, although I couldn't help but hope a little.

''They've decided to keep you.''

I leant back weakly against my seat, not being able to believe my good fortune.

''Really? They want to keep me?''

I wasn't going to go back to that terrible city, the city of rules and tall, robbed men who spied on you. The city where I had witnessed the deaths of my two best friends in the world.

''That's what I said, didn't I?'' Chen grunted irritably, ''Right, I've got what I came here for.. Come on then, get out. I have to walk you up to them.''

''My parents?''

''Yeah. And mind you don't slip up, girl. Don't forget-''

''Yeah, I know. Fu-Ten, there my whole life, illness, blind. I'm not stupid, you know.''

But I wasn't really thinking of the lies he had given me to say. All I was thinking of were my new parents. Two people who wanted me, even though I was blind. They were clearly uncertain, at the moment. Doubtful. But I would make them love me. I needed to be loved again.

My mother might have done, in her own strange way. Lee certainly had. And so had Tsunade. And now they were all gone, and I was alone.

I had not realized how much I depended on it, until it had been snatched away from me. Love.

But there were two new people, people who would call themselves my parents, and I had a chance of being loved once again. I would try not to compare them with Lee or Tsunade, because if I did that, they would never win. It wasn't there fault, that they came into my life at a later moment..

But it hurt, that I couldn't tell them about Lee. Or Tsunade. That hurt more than anything. But I wouldn't forget them. I couldn't forget them. Memories can't be destroyed.

Chen pushed open the door, and we walked through it, walked towards a man and a woman sitting on cushions. Walked towards my new parents. My new life.

So, that is how I became Toph Bei Fong.

I thought my journey had ended... until I met the Avatar.

THE END


	31. Epilogue

EPILOGUE

The woman took a deep breath, and then knocked on the door three times. This was madness. Her only reason for being here was seeing a statue! She was deluding herself. And would end up embarrassing herself in front of the Avatar, no less.. But she _had_ to be sure.

Tsunade had seen the statue only one day after its unveiling, because she had been in Ba Sing Se on business. At first it had simply struck her odd, that the great victory monument had been built in the lower ring. But then she had looked at the stone faces and all other thoughts had left her. She had scanned the inscription at the bottom hurriedly.

Under the legend: _Heroes of the Final Battle_ there were six names. Three of which she didn't recognize. _Sokka_? What a peculiar word.. much less a name..

Two of the names every child knew.. _Firelord Zuko _and of course,_ Avatar Aang._

But it was the last name, that had held her spellbound, mesmerized.

_Toph Bei Fong._

No, it couldn't be. But how many people were called _Toff_ anyway? Not many, but more than one, surely. But the statue. The girl looked just like her..

Maybe Haiko had had a soft spot, after all... maybe he hadn't been as coldhearted as his master, as he had wanted the world to believe..

And now Tsunade was standing in front of a tea shop, of all strange places, hoping against hope that the girl whom she had believed dead would be there. How old would she be now? Thirteen? Six years, since they had seen each other last. Six long years.

She moistened her lips. Knocked one more time.

Tsunade could feel a presence behind the wooden door.

_It's her_, the White Dragon whispered triumphantly. But Tsunade wouldn't allow herself to rejoice until she was certain.

Slowly, very slowly, the door was slid open.

She must have already felt Tsunade, of course, Tsunade had been a fool for forgetting.

As the door was opened to its full extent, both of them were silent, overwhelmed. Both of them took in the other person, the person whom they had thought was gone for ever.

Toph recovered first, her face breaking into a grin, as she ran to her friend and jumped up in her arms, like she had done as a little girl, and Tsunade came out of her stupor and hugged fiercely back, tears of joy in her eyes.

The moment both of them had longed for, had craved for, had not expected to happen, in this lifetime at least.

**So, that was it. **

**Thanks to everyone who read this far.**

**Thought of this story a couple of years ago, but only got to writing it down now. Hope you enjoyed it :)**

**Please tell me what you thought!**


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